Can't go home
by Alix Winchester
Summary: Alexandria Collins is a half American, half Australian living in London when suddenly she finds herself in her life long favorite TV show. Why is the Doctor suddenly real? Why does she feel like she belongs beside him? And why... why does he keep looking at her like that? - Well, I can't go home. So what the hell. Let's do this.
1. Preface

My new life.

That's what I had called it. How silly it seems, looking back now. Knowing that it was this new life that led me to my death.  
This new life that I had wished for endlessly. It was full of danger and horror and pain and grief and a lost past that shook me to the bone. But it was also full of adventure and amazing things and beautiful things. Full of friendship and happiness and joy. But most of all, the best emotion of this new life. That one moment between desperation and happiness, the turning point.  
Hope.  
This is what this life is all about. The moment where helplessness changes. The moment you see your way out, that you will live another day. The feeling when you know you will live to tell your story. I just wish I had some of that now.  
So this is the story of how I got the adventure I had looked for. The story of how I realised who I really am, and the story of how I died. But most of all, this is the story of him. The man I had forgotten, and the man who made it all happen. The man I died for. For better or for worse, even approaching an end, I will always return to him, my home, Always.

This is how Alexandria Collins died.


	2. Long Way From Home

An alarm cut though the peaceful air. Alex groaned, silencing the damn thing and sitting up, rubbing her eyes. She pulled the covers away and swung her feet off the edge of the bed. From there it was the quick and simple morning routine. She dressed in jeans and a black top, covering it with her army green jacket she'd had since she was a kid. She didn't need any sort of bag that way, the way she liked it, with the inside pockets she insisted on adding when she was a teenager. But then what young Doctor Who fan didn't want 'bigger on the inside' pockets? Alex headed out with a sigh, locking the door to her flat behind her.

She walked to work, humming to herself as she did. The little café was just on the next block over. When she reached her destination she left her jacket in the back room and tied her apron on and her shoulder length brown hair up. Work was slow, nothing really interesting happened, as always. However she couldn't help but feel like something was… off. Alex had her lunch break, in which she simply took a walk and grabbed some chips as she did. She returned early but got back to work anyway. Later on the doors were locked, the sign read closed and after helping the cook in the back clean up a bit Alex left her apron in the back and set off home with her precious jacket on.

Alex bumped into someone, having been watching her feet as she walked.

"Oh, sorry" The blonde said distractedly.

"No, that's fine. I wasn't paying attention" Alex assured her. She froze then. _Holy hell, it can't be._

"Yeah, neither was-" The girl was cut off by a loud explosion and the two turned, staring at the building in flames. Someone had just blown up the top floor of Hendrick's. _Hendrick's… no_ The girl seemed a little on edge, even standing this distance away from the burning building.

"Did you just come from there?" Alex asked, trying to sound inconspicuous.

"Yeah, um, a couple minutes ago. No idea what that was about" She told Alex. _She's lying_ "I should go, it'll probably be on the telly any minute now, mum's gonna freak" Alex simply nodded as the girl hurried away. She stood where she was, watching the building as sirens started up a way away and watching as they arrived. She watched the fire department make quick work with the hoses and watched as the ambulance loaded in a stretcher and left. _No sirens…_ But what she also watched was a strange man in a leather jacket who seemed to come out from the back of the building when he thought no one was looking. She watched as he stood back, despite his close proximity beforehand proving how normal a burning building seemed to him. _Doctor… no, this can't be real._

"You alright miss?" A familiar voice asked. Alex looked up quickly with wide eyes. _This can't be real, that's just Cristopher Eccelston right? But he'd have to be older. Oh god, unless… But it couldn't be real! It-_ "Miss? Are you alright?" The Doctor, or Christopher or whoever the hell he was seemed concerned.

"Yeah" She managed. Alex cleared her throat and continued. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just…" She looked down, frowning at the pavement as she attempted to get her thoughts together.

"You must just be in shock, that's all" He said, leaning down slightly to see her face. Alex looked up again.

"Yeah, I… I must" Alex nodded.

"You got anyone to look after you? A friend? Live with anyone?" He asked. Alex shook her head.

"No. No, not it the country anyway" She forced a smile, hoping it looked convincing. According to his expression, it didn't. "I'll be fine" She assured him. Alex turned and continued down the street before he had the chance to answer. Her mind racing, she didn't even notice she was home until she was unlocking the door to her flat. She dropped the keys by the door and moved to the bedroom. She dropped herself on her bed and stared up at the ceiling.

Alex slowly reached for her phone, knowing full well she had read hundreds of Fanfictions of this kind and a good few of the main characters never got to speak to their families again. Either they didn't exist or their parents didn't. You could never quite tell with other universes. Alex selected the first number she thought of, her mother, and dialled. It didn't even ring. The number was not in service. Alex sniffed slightly, keeping any tears at bay as she checked her other contacts. Her old home phone was down. Her grandmother's and her cousins and all her friends. One after the other a number was out of service, used by another person or didn't recognise her number or name. She never thought about how much she'd miss them until she had no way to see them. Heck, she even missed her annoying brothers. One older, one younger, but both stuck in a seemingly permanent mental state of five year olds.

Alex gave a shuddering sigh. That was it, all of them. As far as she gathered her father and brothers were alive and her mother hadn't been mentioned. He grandparents were a no-show and her only cousins she spoke to were big-time businessmen whose phones were answered by their secretaries. As for herself, Alex overheard some things in the background of her older brother's phone. Another girl. Who was apparently his sister.

Alex's thoughts spun around her head, confusing her even as her breath became short and fast and tears made their way down her face. How could this happen? Why? And if their sister was someone else, who was she? Alex dropped her questions from her mind when she realised just how fast her breathing had become, and she didn't know how to stop. She closed her eyes, trying to find some positive memory or emotion to latch onto, but quickly found that all of them led back to her family and friends who didn't know her. Sure she was isolated, she moved to a whole other bloody country from them, but they always assured her they were a phone call away. Now they weren't. Alex finally managed to calm herself and stop crying a good ten minutes later and she simply remained laying on her back on her bed, staring at the ceiling. All but empty.

What now.

Alex got up around an hour later, deciding to do something. She was thrown into another universe for some reason, and the only way she could think to ever find out was to find the Doctor. Plus, while she had hoped for different circumstances, like keeping her family, she had always wanted this in a way.

She rushed to her laptop, which she soon realised shouldn't exist right now, opened it up and typed in the search bar 'Doctor Who'. She was surprised at the results. Wiki pages and Tumblr and fanfictions a-plenty. Strange. She highlighted her search, typing in 'Doctor, contact Clive'. The strangest thing was, the real site showed up. In each search she tried, surrounding the doctor and events of the storyline before 2005, the results showed as she was expecting them. Show references or real world events. The strange thing was that, halfway down the page, there was a split where the results showed up for the opposite world. Alex took a deep breath, calming herself. She wouldn't help anything by freaking out. She was in a whole new universe now it seemed.

Deciding on a next move, Alex then looked up a yellow pages and typed in Rose Tyler. It took a bit but she managed to find a Rose Tyler that lived in London and track down the address. She printed off the address, knowing she'd have to come up with an excuse on why she was there.

Alex then watched the blinking cursor on her laptop for a long time, deciding if the idea she had was something she should really do. Taking a deep breath, Alex typed her full name in the search bar and pressed enter. This world's results came up first. But none of them were about her. Alex stared, wide-eyed, as she scrolled through Facebook pages and Instagram with posts supposedly from her and ones with her name tagged in them. Her family used the same name on their other daughter it seemed. Another girl smiled in all the photos that were meant to be of her. It still looked like her, but it wasn't, it couldn't have been. From on the phone to her dad at four, to graduating high school with her brothers at her side, and everything in between. Another ten year old held her newborn baby brother. Another five year old stole her big brothers clown costume. Another thirteen-year old went trick-or-treating, costume matching with her three-year-old brother. Another girl took a selfie with her brothers, on the plane to a new home. Another girl helped her little brother put the star on the Christmas tree. Another girl took her little brother to his first day of year two. Another girl went to her big brother's wedding.

Alex smiled tearily at that one. He never got married back home. He looked happy. None of the photos she found were improving her mood one bit. But with every one she realised that, despite her being gone, despite this other girl in her place, every other friend and family member looked all the happier. Happier with the other daughter, sister, cousin, friend. Happier with the one who didn't leave.

It was then, when she left the Facebook page she was on, that she noticed the results under the line. The results from her last universe. To be specific, the first result. 'TARDIS wiki' The Doctor who Wikipedia page. With her name on it. Alex's breath hitched. That could only mean… Maybe her earlier choice to find the doctor was the right one. She knew she shouldn't be looking at any of this, but her eyes drifted over it quickly enough for one piece of information to catch her eye.

 _First appearance: Alex and Rose (2005)_

 _Last appearance: Doomsday (2006)_

Before she knew it, the sun was shining though the curtains and Alex cursed under her breath when her alarm went off. Work would have to wait. Anyway, this was what she had been waiting and hoping for half her life. Adventure of any kind however, well she'd been waiting for that literally her whole life. Ever since she remembered she had been playing pretend at some kind of big magical adventure. And, well, sciencey with some timey wimey and a little jiggery pokery seemed second best to magic.

Alex, mind made up, changed first, slipping on the most comfortable of her precious Converse. A dark blue pair with white trim and white laces, browned slightly from their use. Not as much as they should be though, they were her favourite, it wasn't like she would not clean them. For clothes, she opted for comfortable to run in but completely her. She slipped on her worn jeans and a plain grey top covered by a black and white flannel, finishing off with her beloved green combat jacket. That thing was real old too if she was honest with herself.

Alex left, locking the door behind her.

Alex had to rush to the address printed on the paper in her hand. She ripped it to pieces and dropped it in one of the bins outside once she got there. She couldn't risk it being seen. She watched from the park next door, settling on a bench beside the playground, until a man in a black leather jacket caught her eye. He wandered around a bit, staring down at the sonic screw driver until he made his way up the stairs to the flat. Alex realised she had stood as she watched and, without thinking, (she had been doing that a lot recently) took off running up the stairs. She wasn't seen by him until she walked up behind him at the door.

"What're you doing here?" He asked, glancing at her as he leaned down the scan the cat flap. It moved suddenly and the two fixed their gazes on it, both forgetting she hadn't answered the question. It opened again and Alex saw a flash of blonde hair before the door swung open.

The Doctor jumped up, looking at her strangely.

"What're you doing here?" He asked again, frowning at Rose this time.

"I live here?" She told him, more like a question than a statement.

"Well what you do that for?"

"Cause I do" She snapped, sounding annoyed now. "And I'm only home cause someone blew up my job" Rose turned to Alex then, noticing her for the first time. "And what are you doing here?" Her eyes widened then. "Oh, are you two together?" Alex glanced at the Doctor, eyes widening in surprise.

"No" The doctor said shortly, having been looking down at his sonic screwdriver, he looked up again. "Must've got the wrong signal" He muttered to himself. "You're not plastic are you?" He asked, knocking on Rose's head. He turned slightly, doing the same to Alex who frowned at him.

"Nope, bone heads" He smiled proudly at his joke. "Bye then" He moved to leave past Alex but Rose grabbed on to his jacket, pulling him inside, shouting something about him not leaving now. Alex turned to leave then, assuming she'd wait outside to see the Doctor 'swanning off'.

"You too" Rose said suddenly, grabbing on to Alex's jacket, pulling her inside. She closed the door behind them, shutting them in.

"Who is it?" A voice called from the next room. Alex scowled slightly at Rose's back as she spoke to her mother, fixing her beloved jacket. A single glance confirmed that the doctor did the same and Alex couldn't help but smile a little at that. What she didn't notice was that the Doctor himself had seen her doing the same and was smiling himself.

"She deserves compensation!" Jackie shouted suddenly, startling Alex out of her thoughts as Rose walked off down the hallway. The doctor stepped forward slightly, watching her go before turning to look in the other room.

"Oh, we're talking millions" He nodded, playing along. Alex stayed out of sight, knowing Jackie was more likely than not checking him out.

"I'm in my dressing gown" She pointed out. Alex closed her eyes, sighing.

"Yes, you are" The Doctor agreed, oblivious.

"There's a strange man in my bedroom"

"Ooh" Alex breathed out, moving quickly past the Doctor to the living room.

"Yes, there is" The Doctor nodded, answering Jackie but watching Alex as she left.

"Anything could happen" Jackie continued. The Doctor tore his gaze from Alex then, mouth falling open slightly as he realised. He shut his mouth with a smile.

"No" Was all he said, shaking his head before following Alex into the living room.

"Don't mind the mess" Rose said distractedly, stacking together a couple magazines. Alex glanced at her from the picture she was looking at on the wall. She was fully aware how the Doctor made himself fully comfortable anywhere so she may as well do it herself. Rose moved to the kitchen, glancing at them as she went.

"Coffee?" She offered.

"Might as well" The Doctor agreed. "Just milk thanks"

"None for me" Alex replied distractedly.

"Really?" A voice spoke up directly behind her, making her jump and turn quickly. The doctor stood in front of her, uncomfortably close. "Because you look like you could use one, after last night" Alex forgot how to think for a moment, just staring into his eyes as he looked into hers. Those old, old eyes. Alex's brain suddenly started working again, kicking into overdrive.

"I'm fine" She replied, maybe a little too quickly. He nodded, though looking unconvinced. He held out his hand then. "I'm The Doctor by the way, and you are?"

"Alex" She said simply, shaking his hand politely. Something she had picked up on in her time in London. Then, "Alexandria Collins" He nodded and moved towards the coffee table, picking up a magazine and opening a page. He snorted, showing her.

"That won't last" He told her. "He's gay and she's an alien" Alex laughed, letting it turn into a soft giggle as she looked around the room herself. Completely oblivious of the Doctor watching her, smiling. Rose kept talking from the kitchen, unknowing that she wasn't being paid any attention. Alex looked back as The Doctor picked up a book, flicking through the pages in less than a second.

"Hmm, sad ending" He frowned, tossing it back down. Alex smiled, sitting down on the couch and watching the Doctor amusedly as he moved around the room.

"You're a long way from home" Alex said conversationally, before she had time to think about her words. The Doctor turned to her, frowning.

"What do you mean?"

Alex panicked internally. _Not good, not good, not good_

"Your accent" She told him, not missing a beat. He nodded, accepting the lie.

"So are you" He replied. Alex paused.

"What" Was all she said, not processing that she was speaking.

"Your accent" He repeated to her, picking up one of the envelopes on a table in front of him. "It's a bit jumbled" He continued. "Which came first, Australian or American?"

"Both" She said, making him frown. "I'm a hybrid" She joked. He nodded in understanding, picking up a pack of cards and shuffling them from one hand to the other.

"Luck be a lady" He sang under his breath. Grinning, he went to shuffle them again only to have them fly off in all directions.

"Maybe not" He muttered, looking around at the mess he'd made. He caught sight of Alex laughing silently in the corner, struggling to breathe and moved towards her.

"You okay?" He asked, smiling still. She nodded, eventually calming down and gasping in air.

"Yeah, I'm fine" She chuckled. He smiled at her. There was a sudden movement by the door and a quick yet loud scurrying and the Doctor frowned.

"What's that then?" He muttered, before speaking up for Rose to hear, climbing onto the couch beside Alex. "Have you got a cat?" Alex turned slightly, trying not to give away that she knew anything but she was sitting on the couch where she knew the arm was hiding. Rose responded with a simple no, though it didn't stay that way as she explained deeper how they used to and no longer did. The arm shot up all of a sudden and Alex jumped, watching in horror as it latched itself onto the Doctor, grabbing on to his neck and effectively cutting off his air supply.

Alex jumped up to help him, trying at the same time to tell her mind to calm down a little. Launching into a panic wasn't going to help anybody. _Respiratory bypass_ She thought. _He'll be fine, but you can't look completely calm._ Her thoughts racing, she barely noticed when Rose walked into the room, muttering about the plastic hand.

"I don't even know your name" She realised, turning to her. Alex gave a particularly hard tug on the arm and it sprung free, flying back to hang in the air a moment before latching onto Rose's face. She let out a muffled scream as the two jumped off the couch and attempted to pull the hand off her. Alex's grip slipped just as the Doctor and Rose tumbled over, landing on the glass coffee table and shattering it. Alex gasped, her hands over her mouth. She knew neither of them were harmed but it was a completely different matter seeing the whole thing play out in front of you.

The Doctor managed to pull the sonic screwdriver from his pocket and pressed the button multiple times, hastily switching through settings until he held it to the hand, holding the button down a moment. Rose was released, gasping, but the hand continued to move in the Doctors grip for a moment longer as he continued working the sonic on it. It stopped eventually and the Doctor looked up at the girls.

"Now there, see? Armless" He joked, tossing it up to Alex who, in her surprise, almost dropped the thing back on his head.

"You think?" Rose deadpanned, taking it from her and hitting the Doctor over the shoulder with it.

"Ow!" He complained. Rose tossed the arm back to Alex, who promptly hit his other shoulder with the thing. "Ow!" He repeated, looking up at her. "I get why she's done it, but what was that for?" Alex shrugged, trying and failing to keep a grin off her face.

"Just wanted to" She stated simply.

"Hold on!" Rose called, following the Doctor down the stairs, who was also being followed closer behind by Alex. "You can't just go swanning off!"

"Yes he can"

"Yes I can" The two spoke at once.

"Here I am, this is me, swanning off, cya!" The Doctor finished.

"But that arm was moving, it tried to kill me!" Rose just about shouted, rightfully freaked out.

"Ten out of ten for observation"

"You can't just walk away, that's not fair! You've got to tell me what's going on"

"No I don't"

"No he doesn't" Alex said at the same time, under her breath so Rose wouldn't hear but The Doctor glanced at her for a quick moment, leading her to think he had heard anyway. No one spoke for a moment as they reached the ground, The Doctor heading for the door. He seemed fine with no talking, examining the arm, and Rose was likely stumped as how to go on, everything she was saying being shot down instantly. Alex simply watched the two, following along but dropping back as The Doctor shoved the door open and walked outside and Rose ran for a moment to keep up with him. He was faster than Alex had thought, of course, she should have known, he would be used to it. After all, his life did require an awful lot of running.

"Alright then" Rose began, almost jogging to stay beside The Doctor. "I'll go to the police, I'll tell everyone" She seemed almost smug at her idea. Poor Rose had a lot to learn about The Doctor. Alex jumped up the curb to walk on the other side of The Doctor. She noticed him smile and grinned herself as he glanced at her. "You said if I did that I'd get people killed, so, your choice. Tell me or I'll start talking" She finished. The Doctor glanced at her.

"Is that supposed to sound tough?" He asked, almost sceptically

"Sort of" The Doctor grinned again.

"Doesn't work" Was all he said. Rose paused a moment.

"Who are you?" She asked, watching him as they walked. Alex did a little hop to keep up with their pace. She wasn't short, the opposite actually, taller than Rose. But she was only used to walking her own pace. It'd been a long time since she'd really walked with anyone else.

"Told you, The Doctor" He responded, undeterred by the question. He got it a lot though.

"Yeah but, Doctor what?"

It took a lot of self-control not to laugh at that. _You had one job_ ran through Alex's head.

"Just The Doctor" He continued to grin to himself. _What is it with nine and the grinning?_

"The Doctor?" Rose asked, incredulous.

"Hello" He grinned, waving to Rose. The two laughed a little and Alex found herself laughing too. This whole bloody thing was ridiculous. The Doctor looked over at her, grinning still and Alex didn't understand for a moment. She wasn't supposed to be part of this. Why did the Doctor keep looking at her? And, more importantly, why did it make her feel, if even for a moment, like she was the most amazing thing in the universe? Because she knew that wasn't true. In her mind the most amazing thing in the universe was the one grinning at her, but he didn't know that.

"Is that supposed to sound impressive?" Rose grinned.

"Sort of" The Doctor repeated her earlier words.

"Come on then" Rose did a small hop like Alex had earlier, trying to bring herself closer to the Doctor. "You can tell me, I've seen enough. Are you the police?"

"No" The Doctor shook his head. "I'm just passing through, I'm a long way from home" Alex paused, realising he'd just copied her earlier words. But he'd said this originally in the show, she hadn't even remembered that until now but she was sure of it. The Doctor glanced over at her after saying those words and the two watched each other meaningfully for a moment.

"But what have I done wrong? How come those plastic things keep coming after me?" Rose asked, interrupting the two.

"Oh, suddenly the entire world revolves around you" The Doctor all but mocked. Alex shook her head but remained silent, letting him go on. "You were just an accident, got in the way. That's all" He explained.

"It tried to kill me!" Rose just about shouted. Alex glanced around, hoping no one heard a conversation like that.

"It was after me" He told her, obviously trying to keep calm. "Last night, in the shop, I was there, you blundered in, almost ruined the whole thing. This morning, I was tracking it down, it was tracking me down. The only reason it fixed on you is 'cause you met me" He finished exponentially calmer than he started.

"And you" He pointed to Alex.

"No, I know, it didn't even touch me" She told him. He gave a small nod.

"So what you're saying is the entire world revolves around you?" Rose clarified.

"Sort of yeah"

"You're full of it" Rose grinned.

"Sort of yeah" The Doctor grinned in return. Alex laughed.

"So all this plastic stuff, who else knows about it?" Rose asked, watching The Doctor closely.

"No one" Was all he said.

"So what you're on your own?"

"Well who else is there?" The Doctor sounded almost annoyed around this topic. Alex couldn't blame him, it annoyed her too if she was honest. "You lot, all you do is eat chips, go to bed and watch telly. While all the time, underneath you, there's a war going on"

"Well chips are good" Alex spoke up, looking over at him. He glanced at her, a small smile on his face.

"They are aren't they?"

Rose reached across The Doctor and he watched her almost curiously as she took the plastic arm from his other hand.

"Okay, start from the beginning" She requested, eager to learn more. The Doctor seemed to think for a moment and gave a small shrug to himself. Almost like a physical version of a _why not?_.

Alex settled her pace beside the Doctor with rose on the other side, him having slowed down slightly for the two.

"I mean if we're gonna go with the living plastic, and I don't even believe that, but if we do, how did you kill it?"

"The thing controlling it projects life into the arm. I cut off the signal, dead" He explained shortly.

"So that's radio control?"

"Thought control" Alex corrected without thinking. The Doctor glanced at her, giving her a funny look.

"That's right" He said, almost confused. He glanced over at Rose then, who was silent as she thought everything over.

"You all right?" He asked her.

"Yeah... So who's controlling it then?" She asked, looking for more.

"Long story" The Doctor dismissed.

"But what's it all for?" She asked then. Looking for a bigger picture, Alex realised. "I mean, shop window dummies, what's that about?" She smiled to herself as she thought of something. "Is someone trying to take over Britan's shops?" She suggested. The three of them laughed.

"No" The Doctor dismissed, then. "It's not a price war" They all laughed again.

"They want to overthrow the human race and destroy you" The Doctor said, suddenly turning serious. The girls fell silent and he glanced at them one after the other.

"Do you believe me?" He asked them.

"No"

"Yes"

Both replies were instant and he looked between the two again.

"Well you're still listening" He directed at Rose. She looked at him, then stopped walking, seeming to realise for a moment that he was right.

"Really though Doctor" She called as the other two kept walking. Alex stopped then, turning so she could see them both, standing now beside Rose. "Tell me, who are you?" That was what stopped him, the question asked by every person to ever meet him. Because all he ever said was 'Doctor', and no human could be content without asking a second time. In all fairness Alex was sure she'd ask too if she didn't already know.

The Doctor thought for a second and Alex's heart skipped a beat when he looked at her.

"You know like we were saying about the earth revolving?" He asked first, turning fully. "It's like when you're a kid the first time they tell you the earth's turning and you just can't quite believe it because everything looks like it's standing still. I can feel it" He looked between the two and Alex almost jumped when he took her hand. Suddenly she forgot all about Rose and that fact that he had her hand too. She forgot about her family and friends who were gone and that she wasn't meant to be here and that he wasn't meant to exist. All she knew was that he existed now, right in front of her, her hand in his and the rest seemed to fade away.

It felt just like him and her and she could feel the turn of the earth like he said. The movement of the ground beneath her feet and all that she knew was that he was there too. She could feel it.

"The turn of the earth, the ground beneath our feet is spinning a thousand miles an hour. The entire planet is hurtling around the sun at sixty seven thousand miles an hour, and I can feel it. We're falling through space, you and me." He looked up, meeting Alex's eyes. "Clinging to the skin of this tiny little world and if we let go…" He dropped her hand and everything came racing back. The earth felt still once more and everything felt suddenly too big and too loud. His eyes were still on her.

"That's who I am" He finished, switching his gaze to Rose.

"Now forget me, Rose Tyler. Alex Collins" He looked at her again before taking the plastic arm from Rose, waving it in front of them. "Go home"

The Doctor turned and walked away, taking on his fast pace again and it almost hurt to have him go. Alex wondered to herself if it was because he knew him already and if she would feel the same had she not. Rose walked the other direction after a minute and Alex watched, frozen, as the Doctor neared the TARDIS. Alex looked to make sure Rose was a safe distance away before running after him. She didn't think, only did. It was a rather bad thing to do, especially in her position but she couldn't help it. She didn't want him to go, even if she knew she'd see him again.

"I can't" She called out, reaching him just in time, he had his hand on the TARDIS door. He turned to her, frowning.

"What do you mean?" He asked, looking her over.

"I can't go home" She clarified, heart beating wildly. She shoved her doubts away. He'd be bound to find out sooner or later, so why not tell him first thing. It is The Doctor after all. Worst case scenario he sends her home. Somehow.

He didn't say anything, watching her and waiting for an explanation. Alex sighed. She made a quick decision. Proof then explanation.

"The Doctor is not your real name, however it's a name you've been using roughly seven hundred years, or more, being nine hundred years old. This here is not a phone box, it's a TARDIS with a broken chameleon circuit that would blend in during 1963. Time And Relative Dimensions In Space, it's a time travelling spaceship that that you stole when you started travelling, like I said, roughly seven hundred years ago. What else… Sarah-Jane Smith was one of your companions in your fourth regeneration, followed by Jo Grant. And last but certainly not least you're not human, you're a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey, in the constellation of Kasterborus and I am from the future in an alternate dimension" She spoke quickly but clearly, her heart nearly beating out of her chest as she waited for his response. His face betrayed no emotion as he stared at her but she knew he'd be shocked. They stood silently for a minute before he actually reacted.

"In" He ordered. Alex squeaked in surprise when he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the TARDIS with him.


	3. Being kidnapped and clever

They stood silently for a minute before he actually reacted.

"In" He ordered. Alex squeaked in surprise when he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the TARDIS with him. He let go of her, closing the door and leaving her in the doorway as he walked quickly to the console, putting the arm down and fiddling with things. The TARDIS took off with the familiar sound of the breaks on in flight, but even when it stopped The Doctor continued playing with switches and controls, looking back at the screen every now and then.

Alex stared. Sure she had seen the thing countless times but seeing it in real life made it look even bigger somehow. The circular light things that not even The Doctor knew the purpose of decorating the walls. The coral support beams marking the edges of the console platform. The console itself also in a coral design wrapped around a blue pillar. Alex took everything in, from the criss-crossed coral beams of the ceiling the show never let you see to the grating of the floor, wires and storage spaces all crammed in underneath.

Alex let her hand ghost along the railing as she moved slowly into the room. She approached the console, being wary as she reached out to rest a hand on the coral surface. There could be a chance it didn't like her, because she wasn't supposed to be here. Like Jack. She flew to the end of the universe to shake him off. Her fingers had just made contact with the surface when the TARDIS hummed. Alex started, jumping away from the console before she registered the happy hum for what it was. She smiled, a little less nervous when she reached out again, flattening her palm to the surface. The TARDIS gave out another contented hum, as if welcoming her. Alex smiled, feeling the console vibrate gently against her touch.

"She likes you" Alex looked up quickly, startled despite the soft tone. The Doctor watched her from the monitor and she removed her hand, suddenly feeling self-conscious. He beckoned her over with a tilt of his head and turned the screen as she came to stand beside him. The screen showed what looked like scan results. The TARDIS had been scanning her while she was looking around.

"Do you know what any of that means?" He asked softly. Alex shook her head. "Well, you certainly aren't from this Earth. And if you're from another universe…" He trailed off, not looking her in the eye. Alex continued to stare at the screen, knowing what he was thinking.

"I can't go home" She finished for him. He looked up at her, looking her in the eyes this time but Alex kept hers fixed on the scan unseeingly.

"Alex" He called softly. She didn't respond. Too much was going through her head. Would they notice her gone? She didn't exactly call often. She lived in a different part of the world. They had each other, she was always the odd one out. She had never taken her little brother to Comicon, he had been asking her to take him this year. She had promised… Her mother wanted to come over to England and go shopping with her, she didn't do that. Her friends in California were waiting for a catch up. Her older brother had just gotten a girlfriend who wanted to meet her. Her Dad… Oh god, she was never going to see any of them again… She-

"Alex, look at me"

Alex's overwhelming thoughts were broken by the voice and she blinked back tears before she turned. The Doctor was watching her sadly.

"I'm sorry" He told her softly. Alex tried not to, she really did, but she couldn't anymore. She let out a choked sob, covering her mouth with a hand as tears began to streak her face. The Doctor almost seemed uncomfortable for a moment and Alex almost apologised. He moved forward suddenly, wrapping his arms around her and Alex copied the gesture before she knew what she was doing. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder. She always imagined this Doctor to be bad with people, being just out of a war. He never seemed to have any good people skills and when Rose started crying in the first episode he dismissed it as 'culture shock'. This was completely different.

The Doctor kept one arm wrapped around her, holding her close and moved his other hand to stroke her hair gently. He shushed her softly and then began whispering comfortingly in her ear in a language she didn't recognise. He stayed there, holding her and whispering until Alex had calmed down and stopped crying and even after then. She wasn't sure how long they were there but it seemed like years. Neither seemed to want to let go.

"I know"

Alex was shocked for a minute, that was the first thing that had been said in English since she had been crying, but it was something she should have already known. He knew. He understood what it was like to lose everyone you love. But his loss was on a much bigger scale. His loss was every one of his species, hers simply the ones she had already met. Alex suddenly felt horrible for breaking down like that in front of him. She had just lost her family. He had just lost his species. His planet. And he thought he had killed them. Alex hugged him a little tighter.

"I'm sorry" Was all she said, in the same soft voice he had used when he said it to her. He leaned down a little more and his face was in her shoulder. Alex searched her brain for something to say, anything. He thought he killed them all. "You did what you had to" She whispered. "You did the right thing. You did good"

They held each other a while longer, both offering comfort to the other and both unwilling to let go. The TARDIS gave a small beep and they both looked up, glancing at the screen. It showed readings but no longer hers. The TARDIS had detected the arm.

"You're right" The Doctor said, moving to grab the arm. He plugged it in to the console, pressing buttons and flicking switches until the monitor beeped again. Alex leaned on the console as she looked at the readings and The Doctor stopped beside her, doing the same.

"There's a signal but it's too weak" He told her.

"The arm's too simple" She nodded. He stared at her a minute. "Oh sorry, didn't I explain?" He shook his head. "Right sorry, in my universe there's this TV show about you, surrounding your life travelling with people from Earth. Basically I became pretty obsessed with it, I know quite a bit, but certainly not everything" There was a pause. Was straight out not the best way to go?

"How far back does it go?" He asked, looking at her closely.

"When you first left for earth with your granddaughter seven hundred years ago it began I'm pretty sure. But that's the classic episodes. I started watching the revival series. This right here" She gestured to the TARDIS around her and the plastic arm in front of them. "Is the first episode of the revival series" He paused again, taking it all in and almost hesitating before asking the next question.

"How far forward does it go?" He asked hesitantly. Alex smiled at that.

"Spoilers" She whispered, grinning. She had always wanted to use that. He simply nodded.

"Had a feeling you'd say something like that. Alright then, on with the show" He grinned to himself as he moved about the console again. Alex laughed at his choice of words and watched him work. After had moved passed her a couple times, placing a hand on her back as he passed, she retreated back to the flight seat, sitting down and watching him run in circles. He stopped at the screen a couple times before he seemed to find what he was looking for.

"AHA!" He shouted suddenly, making her jump. "Found you" He muttered quietly. He didn't stop working however and the TARDIS started moving and Alex grabbed hold of the seat as the whole thing shook. This thing was even shakier than she had imagined, but you couldn't blame him. He did quite a good job replacing six men.

"Got a new signal?" Alex asked, grinning at him. He grinned right back.

"Yep, and here we are" He pulled one last lever and the TARDIS calmed. They had landed. "Wanna come along?" He asked, looking at her hopefully. Alex couldn't help but grin.

"Hell yeah!" She responded enthusiastically. He grinned back at her, holding out his hand. Alex jumped up, taking the offered hand and the two rushed to the doors, jumping out and closing them behind them as they continued on. They were still in London it seemed. The Doctor stopped at some point and checked his sonic screwdriver, making sure they were going the right direction and they ended up at a pizza shop in town.

"Oh, pizza" Alex breathed out in understanding.

"Right place then?" The Doctor guessed as they walked in, hand in hand.

"Yeah but guess who"

The Doctor looked around for whatever was plastic and caught sight of Rose and the plastic Mickey.

"Of course" He muttered under his breath. Alex grinned at him. He glanced over at her, noticing her grin and simply rolled his eyes. "Right then, stay here a moment" He told her. Alex blinked as he slipped into the kitchen, returning a moment later with a bottle of champagne.

"So that's where you got it from" Alex muttered under her breath. The Doctor smirked slightly at that. Damn, he has pretty good hearing.

"You can stay here if you want" He suggested, heading over to the table. Alex smiled to herself, watching the scene unfold before her. The couple denied the bottle once, twice, then-

"Doesn't anybody want this champagne?" Alex laughed lightly, watching the fake Mikey as his expression changed. "Don't mind me" The Doctor hummed, smiling as he shook the bottle in his hands. "Just toasting the happy couple, on the house" He pointed the bottle at the dummy's head and released the cork. Alex would've laughed then too, but it was pretty damn creepy in reality.

Alex stood up straighter for a moment. In reality. She hadn't even considered the possibility of it being a dream. No, it couldn't be. Her dreams were never this detailed and never showed the parts in between. They would've appeared at the restaurant from the TARDIS. So this was real, and she was really never going home, and she was really with The Doctor and Rose, and The Doctor was really looking out for her.

Alex really didn't know how to feel about that.

 _Well_ She thought _I can't go home, so what the hell. Let's do this._

Alex was about to run over to join the two as the plastic Mickey stood up when a hand clamped over her mouth and she was grabbed roughly from behind. Plastic. Alex tried to scream but any sound that was made was too small in this room. By now every person in this room was screaming and running for the doors and Rose had pulled the fire alarm. Alex tried to struggle, she really did but, well you try to escape from a plastic dummy kidnapping you. Alex tried to scream, tried to kick, tried to do anything as she was pulled away. At least she thought she was slowing it down, but not enough. She watched The Doctor helplessly as he pulled the head off the plastic Mickey.

Apparently the dummy seemed to think she had been enough trouble just as they turned the corner and Alex felt something hit the side of her head and everything went black.

"Hello?" The voice faded in through the darkness. It sounded hazy and far away. "Hello miss?" The voice continued on uncertainly. "Miss are you okay? Oh god, can you open your eyes?" Alex really didn't want to open her eyes. She shifted slightly on the cold ground and a sharp pain shot through her head, making her eyes snap open. Alex sat up quickly and someone grabbed her, keeping her from standing while also keeping her from falling. Alex couldn't hold herself up she found and ended up leaning into the person in front of her. "Are you okay?" Whoever it was asked. Alex wasn't actually sure. "Miss? Are you alright?" The voice repeated. She knew that voice.

Alex gathered what little strength she had and moved back from the person to look up at his face. Mickey Smith. She was never going to get used to this.

"Not sure" Was all she said in answer. "Where are we?"

"The humans shall remain unharmed" A sharp voice cut through the air. Mickey's eyes widened and he looked over her shoulder, terrified eyes locked on something. Alex, already feeling her strength return, sat up straighter and turned. They seemed to be somewhere underground, on some kind of platform. There was another platform wrapped around above them and a flat level below them. Alex's eyes locked on the large vat on the ground below them and she found herself smiling for some reason.

"Ooh, the Nestene Conciousness" She smiled, moving towards the bars at the edge of the platform.

"You know what I am" The voice spoke again.

"Well I thought that part was obvious" Alex shrugged. "But what're you doing here?" She asked, forgetting for a moment. She remembered something suddenly. "Oh!" She just about shouted, making Mickey jump. "Protein planets gone! Oh, you're hungry" She realised.

"I am" It confirmed.

"Well bad luck buddy, cause you're not eating anything here. I'm telling you now, leave this planet if you want to live"

"Who would threaten me?"

"Well I'm not threatening you, your threatening this planet, which is why I'm _warning_ you. Anyone who threatens Earth, it never ends well for them"

"What could you do?"

"Oh not me" Alex shook her head. A sound came from above behind them and Alex smiled. "Him"

Alex turned, looking up to watch the two figures walk out into view. They spoke quietly for a moment before The Doctor came closer.

"I seek audience with the Nestene Consciousness under peaceful contract of convention fifteen of the shadow proclamation"

"Granted" The Consciousness spoke. Alex looked down at it. She understood it. This was curious. Rose didn't understand by this point and she'd been in the TARDIS while it moved. Alex didn't dwell too much on it, deciding in the end that it must be because Alex had been in the vortex and the TARDIS must have had more time to establish the connection. Like The Doctor had said. She liked her.

"Thank you. That I might have permission to approach?" The Doctor requested.

"Mickey!" Rose cried out suddenly, spotting them. Alex expected to see The Doctor roll his eyes and follow her leisurely but she was surprised when his eyes widened and he hurried down, following Rose.

"Alex, are you okay?" He asked, voice betraying his obvious concern. Alex nodded.

"I think so yeah" She told him. He froze, eyes locked on the side of her head it seemed and Alex frowned, reaching up to touch the spot gingerly before withdrawing her hand with a hiss of pain. She blinked at the crimson now coating her fingers. "Oh" Was all she said. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and scanned her quickly.

"Just a surface wound, no concussion" He told her. "You'll be fine, don't worry about the blood for now, I'll fix you up in the TARDIS" He put his sonic screwdriver away and Alex noticed his whole hand dip into the small looking pocket as he did so.

"How exactly big are these?" She asked, reaching into that pocket. He seemed unfazed, but looked at her as she moved her hand about inside, exploring some of the contents.

"Doctor they kept him alive" Rose spoke up, looking at him.

"Yes that was always a possibility" The Doctor confirmed. "Keep him alive to maintain the copy" He took Alex's hand gently, moving it away and standing. "Stay" He told her softly. She looked at him but didn't answer as he stood and made his way down to the lower level.

"Am I addressing the Conciousness?" He asked. Alex moved to look past the bars behind her and see what was happening below them. She missed that was Rose looking at her as she stayed beside Mickey.

"You are"

"Thank you. I observed that you infiltrated this civilisation by means of warped shunt technology. So may I suggest, with the greatest respect, that you shunt off" He grinned to himself as he finished and Alex chuckled under her breath as she watched.

"Excuse me, according to convention thirty-eight of-"

"Oh don't give me that, it's an invasion, plain and simple. Don't talk about constitutional rights"

"What makes you think-"

"I. Am. Talking!" The Doctor shouted suddenly, making Alex jump. His voice, loud, commanding and powerful, echoed around the room several times and Alex watched with wide eyes. The fury of the Timelord. Alex stood.

"This planet is just starting" He continued, voice softer now. Pleading even. Alex moved to the stairs, descending and watching from behind The Doctor. "These stupid little people have only just learned how to walk. But they're capable of so much more. I'm asking you, on their behalf, please just go"

"Doctor!" Rose shouted in warning. Alex saw the auton move forward and grab hold of The Doctor, who had no time to run beforehand. Alex narrowed her eyes slightly, wait a second, there was only one there. Where-

Alex let out a cry as she was grabbed from behind and she saw The Doctor turn, watching wide-eyed as Alex was moved forward. A hand reached into her pocket and The Doctor stared at her as a third auton removed the tube of anti-plastic from her pocket. So much for the plan.

"That was just insurance I wasn't going to use it!" The Doctor insisted

"You and your humans were going to attack me!" The Consciousness accused.

"I was not attacking you. I'm here to help. I'm not you enemy I swear I'm not…"

"You kind are my enemy"

"What do you mean?"

A door slid open above them and Alex looked up to see the TARDIS being revealed. Why did they always get the TARDIS? Well in this case it proved useful but the point still stands.

"Oh, oh no, honestly no!" The Doctor cried as The Consciousness continued on accusingly.

"This is yours?"

"Yes, that's my ship"

"You are one of them!" The plastic roared. "One who destroyed my planet! My species! They could've been saved, but they weren't, you wouldn't"

"That's not true. I should know, I was there, I fought in the war. It wasn't my fault, I couldn't save your world! I couldn't save any of them!"

"Please, your planet was destroyed, would you want that for someone else?" Alex called out.

"I shall not destroy the planet, only the species"

"What's it doing?!" Rose shouted down.

"It's the TARDIS!" He called back. "The Nestene has identified it's superior technology, It's terrified! It's going to final base. It's starting the invasion! Get out, Rose! Just leg it! Now!" He ordered. Alex watched Rose dial on her phone and looked over to the Doctor.

"I'm sorry" She said, shaking her head. "I'm sorry I thought I could fix this, I thought I could stop it"

"This is nothing for you to be sorry for" He assured her, his voice eerily calm all of a sudden. Despite everything that happened around them Alex couldn't help it when it all tuned out. Until all she could see was The Doctor, all she could focus on, all she could think about was him. And he might very well die tonight because of her. Alex hoped Rose would jump in but she didn't know how much she'd change simply by being here. Maybe Rose got out before that could happen.

There was a sudden burst of electricity from the Consciousness and Alex looked on in horror as the signal was transmitted.

"It's the activation signal! It's transmitting!" The Doctor exclaimed, looking between the two girls and the signal.

"Get out Rose! Just get out! Run!" He called desperately. Part of the ceiling caved in that very moment and Alex knew things had gone from not good, to bad to terrible to end of the world in the last few short minutes.

"The stairs have gone!" Rose shouted over the sound that was made worse by its own echoes. Alex winced as the sound assaulted her eardrums, wishing she could just move her arms and cover them. She tugged against the auton but it didn't budge, standing there calmly as if it wasn't the end of the world.

"I haven't got the key!" Rose shouted from the TARDIS above them. Alex turned as far as she could, trying to see her.

"We're gonna die!" Mickey cried out dramatically. Alex really did like him later in the series but in the beginning, god, she agreed with The Doctor whole-heartedly. The Doctor looked to Rose seemingly helpless before he turns to Alex. He picked up immediately on the fear in her eyes and the horrified expression she wore and struggled against she auton once more, trying to get free to reach the anti-plastic.

"Just leave him!" Mickey shouted and Alex turned to see Rose standing, looking at The Doctor and then at her. Alex gave the slightest nod and Rose sprung into action. "There's nothing you can do!" Mickey tried again. _Fat lot of good you are_.

Rose ran over to the wall, grabbing an axe. She spoke to herself as she held it in the air, steadying her grip before dropping it down, breaking a chain free from the wall. She dropped the axe, grabbing the chain tightly and turning, preparing herself.

"I got the bronze" Alex heard her say. She ran and jumped, swinging off the edge and Alex ducked out of the auton's grip as Rose kicked out at it, landing it in the Consciousness. The Doctor used the distraction to flip the one holding him over his head and into the vat also. The first one Rose kicked hit the third and the anti-plastic fell into the plastic creature and it wasn't long until it began screaming. A high inhuman screech. Alex was paying attention to the vat so she was surprised when Rose called out "Watch out" and Alex was hit by her, the momentum throwing them both back until The Doctor caught them both. He looked down into the vat before grinning at each of them.

"Now we're in trouble" He smiled, turning to lead both quickly up to the TARDIS. He found the key easily and unlocked the door, stepping in almost leisurely as the shell-shocked Mickey, and excited Rose and Alex followed. Just another day with The Doctor.

Mickey stumbled out first, attempting to hide behind a couple trash bins and Rose followed him out of the TARDIS, dialling a number on her phone. Alex stood at the console watching them for a moment.

"You alright?" The Doctor asked her softly, glancing at her head again. Alex nodded.

"Yeah, I'm probably never gonna really see my family again, but for now. Yeah I'm fine. Just tired" She answered him truthfully.

"It'll take a bit of getting used to" He told her and she nodded.

"That happens when everyone you know suddenly doesn't know you" She joked. The Doctor smiled at that.

"But I mean, you could, you know, if you want. You don't have to… I mean, the TARDIS is endless, you could-"

"I'd love to" Alex smiled. After all these years he still found it so hard to ask every time. The Doctor grinned at her.

"Welcome aboard" He announced. He looked at the door then as Rose hung up and moved over to Mickey. "Mind another passenger?"

"I was hoping you'd say that" She nodded to him. They moved to the door together and stood in the open doorway, watching as the couple turn and Mickey did nothing but panic at the sight of them.

"Nestene Consciousness" He snapped his fingers. "Easy" Rose scoffed.

"You were useless in there. You'd be dead if it wasn't for me. Both of you" She pointed out. That's when Alex actually realised, yes the Doctor would be dead without her. But in this case, so would she.

"Yes, we would" He nodded and Alex could swear he sneaked at glance at her. "Thank you" He told Rose genuinely. "Right then! I'll be off" He announced. "Unless uh… I don't know… you could come with me" He offered

Rose didn't answer. She glanced at Mickey and the two of them, slipping her hands in her pockets as she seemed to consider it.

"This box isn't just a London hopper you know, it goes anywhere in the universe, free of charge" He added.

"Don't!" Mickey cried "He's an alien! He's a thing! She's probably one too!"

"He's not invited" Alex scowled at Mickey. He shrunk away a little and it took a lot of effort not to laugh.

"What do you think?" The Doctor continued, looking at Rose again. "You could stay here and fill your life with work and food and sleep, or you could go, uh… anywhere"

"Is it always this dangerous?"

"Yeah" The Doctor grinned, nodding. Alex smiled too.

Rose considered it a moment until Mickey reached up, wrapping his arms around her legs like a terrified child. He kind of was.

"Yeah I can't…" Rose seemed to realise. "I've um… gotta go and find my mum and um… someone's gotta look after this stupid lump" She laughed, patting Mickey on the back as he still watched the pair distrustfully. "So…"

"Okay" The Doctor nodded, trying to hide his disappointment. "See you around"

The two continued to stare at each other and Alex looked between them, giving each a sad look. The Doctor gestured her back in and Alex entered the TARDIS, standing behind him as he closed the door. When he took off Alex noticed he kept looking back at the screen watching Rose as they disappeared.

Alex sat away on the flight seat, thinking. What went wrong? Was it simply because she was there? Did The Doctor not mind as much because he wasn't really alone? It didn't seem to be due to lack of trying. Rose had known she was there, maybe that was why. Alex didn't remember the episode perfectly of course, but she knew Rose joined him on the TARDIS in the end.

"Alright, time to clean you up" The Doctor announced then, pulling her to her feet and wrapping an arm around her shoulder as he guided her further into the TARDIS. Alex had almost forgotten about her head but it proved what she had already suspected. The Doctor was looking out for her now. Alex was travelling in the TARDIS.

It had been a couple weeks for them, travelling the universe, as exciting as you'd expect it to be. If you didn't count the alien planet they were chased off only because apparently some guy with The Doctor had slept with their princess. But The Doctor claimed he had not been here yet. _God damn it Jack_ They went and saw some sights and Alex loved them all but she knew this was wrong. Without Rose the storyline would likely never progress properly. But she couldn't force any of them to do something they didn't want to. She was sure it was meant to happen, but whatever was truly meant to happen should happen anyway right? She wasn't sure anymore. Alex was wandering the TARDIS after an amazing day on a planet that looked entirely like Egypt. The pyramids were simply beautiful and just as the sun was setting, when the light hit them just right, they shone and glittered like a thousand diamonds. Alex smiled at the memory. It was truly beautiful and something she could never forget. Never in all of time.

She realised something then. Time machine. Alex's eyes widened in realisation and she let out a loud "Oh!" She turned, nothing short of running back to the console room where she knew The Doctor would be. The TARDIS helped best she could, rearranging the rooms and corridors for the shortest route. But Alex had a pretty good grip on the closest rooms by now.

"Doctor!" She shouted as she burst into the console room. The Doctor was working on something under the console and bumped his head as he scrambled up, rushing over to her. He grabbed her arms, looking her up and down.

"What is it? Are you okay? Are you hurt? What happened?" He asked feverishly.

"No I'm fine!" She exclaimed, talking quickly and puffing from the run. "Did you tell her it was a time machine?" The Doctor paused a moment, but it was clear he know who she meant. He watched her a moment longer to be sure she was okay with the running she just did before he headed towards the console. He moved quickly, pressing buttons, flicking switches, turning things. Alex held onto the bars behind her at the edge of the platform. She grinned to herself. She figured it out, she'd figured it out. They were on the right track this whole time.

The TARDIS landed and Alex followed as the Doctor rushed to the door. He opened the door and Alex saw Rose and Mickey only a few paces away from where they'd been before, staring at them. Only seconds had passed, they were back on track.

"By the way did I mention, it also travels in time?" He asked. Rose grinned then and The Doctor and Alex grinned back, retreating from the door but leaving it open.

It was only moments until Rose ran in, a grin on her face with the door closing behind her. Alex and The Doctor grinned back at her.

Things were all as they should be.

 **You guys, I'm kind of freaking out over how much attention this thing has gotten overnight. So here's another chapter straight up. First episode finished. To be completely honest I've already written a whole season and probably reread it so many times. Anything wrong in the writing is just my being an idiot at this point. So I've started writing season two but that doesn't mean I won't forget to post or that I will continue writing at any steady pace. So we'll see how it goes. Although with how many reviews I've been getting already I've probably got less of a chance of forgetting, so thank you!**


	4. Gifts of Peace

"Right then Rose Tyler, you tell me, where do you want to go? Backwards or forwards in time. What's it going to be?"

"Forwards" She decided. The Doctor pressed a couple buttons and pointed to one beside Alex, which she pushed for him. In the few weeks she had been there she had managed to convince him to teach her how to fly the TARDIS. It would take a while but she was slowly learning what did what.

"How far?" He asked then.

"One hundred years" Rose said, picking a random number. Alex pulled the lever for him and he turned a knob to the side and the engines started up, moving only for a few seconds before they stopped and Alex moved the lever back. One hundred years really wasn't that far.

"There you go, step outside those doors" The Doctor announced.

"It's the twenty-second century" Alex finished proudly. The Doctor didn't seem to mind.

"You're kidding" Was all Rose said, staring blankly at the two.

"A bit boring though" Alex frowned

"Do you want to go further?" The Doctor offered.

"Fine by me!" Rose grinned, looking between the two. They both ginned back and Alex pulled the lever back, watching the Doctor spin the knob a bit further than last time. Rose held on to the bar of the console tightly, trying not to fall over but Alex had recently started becoming used to the shaking of travelling in the TARDIS. Especially when she only held on with one hand to be able to drive with him. The Doctor stopped and looked over at her and she replaced the lever to its original position. He looked at Rose then.

"Ten thousand years in the future. Step outside it's the year 12005"

"The New Roman Empire?" Alex asked, looking at him. He grinned and nodded.

"The very same"

"You two think you're so impressive" Rose teased.

"I AM so impressive" They retaliated in synch.

"You wish!" She smirked

"Right then, you asked for it!" The Doctor told her, pointing. "I know exactly where to go. Hold on!" The Doctor took over, moving around Alex to pull the switch himself and pumping a lever furiously as he spun the knob again. Alex was almost knocked over by the sudden lurch of the engines as they sped through the vortex faster than she ever had before. The Doctor happened to be reaching around her and steadied her with a hand on her waist as he did so.

All of a sudden everything stopped and Alex held tight to the console to avoid falling as they landed. The engines quieted and The Doctor stood up proudly, looking to Rose for her reaction of her first trip.

"Where are we?" Rose asked. The Doctor gestured to the doors. "What's out there?" Rose asked again, smiling excitedly now. The Doctor and Alex simply grinned in return and Alex copied his gesture to the doors. Rose ran to the doors and stepped out, looking around as Alex followed her out and The Doctor came last.

"Cool, outer space empty room" Alex joked and Rose laughed. Alex noticed The Doctor's grin at her joke as he moved to the other side of the room, heading down the stairs and started on some kind of control panel with his sonic screwdriver. Alex walked over to him and noticed the buttons on the panel. She moved the Doctor's hand and he frowned when she pressed what looked like the right button and the shutters opened.

"Can never go with the simple answer can you Doctor?" She grinned at him. He rolled his eyes and went to stand beside Rose who was looking out the window in shock. Alex stood on his other side, looking down at the Earth with an almost bittersweet smile on her face. This was amazing, this view, but Alex knew it was time for the Earth to go now. She also knew of all the troubles and losses they'd all have to face just to survive. But no one else could know. She could be the only one, and if she changed something, anything could happen. If she didn't, then innocent people died when she could've done something. She couldn't save anyone most likely, a person shouldn't be alive in the world that should've died, she might not be able to do anything. The only thing she could do was make sure she cleaned up any extra mess she caused.

"You lot. You spend all your time thinking about dying. Like you'll get killed by eggs or beef or global warming or asteroids. But you never take the time to imagine the impossible. Maybe you survive. This is the year 5.5/apple/26. Five billion years in your future. This is the day… hold on" He checked his watch and there was a sudden flare from the sun. Rose stared wide eyed but Alex simply watched, a little sadly. "This is the day the sun expands" He looked at Rose, then at Alex. "Welcome to the end of the world"

The three of them walked down a corridor, not speaking for a moment as a voice came over the speakers.

' _Shuttles five and six now docking. Guests are reminded that platform 1 forbids the use of weapons, teleportation and religion_ ' Alex snorted at the last one and The Doctor smiled. ' _Earth death is scheduled for 15:39, followed by drinks in the Manchester suite_ '

"So when it says guests, does it mean people?" Rose asked when the announcement finished.

"Depends what you mean by people" The Doctor and Alex spoke at once. He wasn't even fazed by it but Rose frowned at the two.

"I mean people, what do you mean?"

"Aliens" The Doctor answered simply.

"Well if you think about the term aliens you can't really call anyone an alien" Alex began. "I mean to them we're the aliens so in that case every living creature in the universe are aliens, why not just call them living or something?" Alex shrugged. That had always bothered her since she was little.

"Hmm, makes sense" The Doctor nodded. Seems like he'd never thought of it that way.

"Well what are they doing on this spaceship?" Rose asked, making them turn back to her. "What's it all for?" They stopped at a door and The Doctor began to use the sonic on the control panel.

"Don't you dare" He said, turning to Alex. She simply grinned at him. "It's not really a spaceship" He said then, answering Rose's question. "More like an observation deck, the great and the good are gathering to watch the planet burn"

"What for?" Rose frowned.

"Fun"

The door opened and the three walked in.

"Mind you, when he says the great and the good what he means is the rich" Alex told Rose, remembering the line.

"Are you going to keep that up all day?" He asked, turning to Alex. Alex grinned, knowing the thought was in his head as she said it.

"For as long as you know me" Alex smirked. The Doctor rolled his eyes.

"But, hold on" Rose said, bringing their attention back to her. "This did this once on 'Newsround Extra', the sun expanding, that takes hundreds of years"

"Millions" Alex corrected.

"But the planet's now property of the National trust" The Doctor continued. Alex grinned at the way he jumped in to say it himself. "They've been keeping it preserved, see down there?" He pointed and Alex noticed a small flash from some piece of technology moving away from the sun and past the earth. There were many of them. "Gravity satellite" He explained. "Holding back the sun" Rose frowned out the window.

"But the planet looks the same as ever, I thought the continents shifted and things" She commented, looking over at the two.

"They did, and the trust shifted them back" The Doctor explained simply. "That's a classic Earth. But now the money's run out, nature takes over"

"How long's it got?" Rose asked, not taking her eyes off the Earth below. The Doctor looked down at his watch.

"About half an hour" He told her, looking back up. "Then the planet gets roasted"

"Is that why we're here?" Rose asked, looking up at the two then. "I mean is that what you do? Jump in at the last minute and save the Earth?"

"We're not saving it" The Doctor said evenly. "Time's up"

"But what about the people?" Rose asked, looking shocked.

"None left down there" Alex told her. "They've all gone. Humans are spread out across the galaxy by now, that planet's empty"

Rose looked back to the window.

"Just me and Alex then" She realised. Alex watched the Earth sadly. _Everything has it's time and everything dies_ She reminded herself. She missed The Doctor watching her worriedly. He realised that she knew what was happening. The lines she stole from him made it twice as obvious. But although he knew her enough to know she loved a view like that, she looked sad.

He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice the steward walking in and towards them until he spoke.

"Who the hell are you?" He demanded. The Doctor and the two girls spun around.

"Oh that's nice, thanks" The Doctor said sarcastically.

"But how did you get in?" The Blue alien rephrased. "This is a maximum hospitality zone! The guests have disembarked, they're on their way any second now!"

"That's me, I'm a guest" The Doctor said, not missing a beat. "Look! I've got an invitation" He pulled out the psychic paper and showed it to him. Alex smiled to herself. She really loved that thing. "Look, there you see? It's fine, see?"

"I think he sees" Alex muttered under her breath. The Doctor elbowed her to shut her up and she glared light-heartedly at him.

"The Doctor and two guests. That's Alexandria Collins and Rose Tyler. One, two, they're my two guests. That alright?"

"Well… obviously" The steward spoke, still seeming slightly uncertain but The Doctor grinned nonetheless. "Apologies, et cetera" He continued. "If you're on-board, we'd better start. Enjoy"

The steward turned, making his way across the room to the podium. The Doctor showed the paper to Rose.

"The paper's slightly psychic" He told her, knowing Alex would already know. "Shows them whatever I want them to see. Saves a lot of time" He turned to show it to Alex then but seemed surprised when she snatched it from his hands.

"I bloody love this thing" She muttered to herself, looking it over closely with a grin on her face. The paper was blank, she realised. _I must just be really clever_ She thought to herself.

"It's blank" She said absently. The Doctor glanced at her.

"You must be really clever" He responded, smiling almost proudly in a 'I-taught-her-everything-she-knows' kind of way. Alex smiled as she heard him use the same words she had been thinking.

"He's blue" Rose pointed out while Alex was distracted.

"Yeah" Was all the Doctor said.

"Okay…"

The steward spoke up then through the microphone at the podium, distracting Alex enough to let The Doctor snatch the paper back. Alex pouted at him and he laughed as they listened to the steward's speech.

"We have in attendance The Doctor, Alexandria Collins and Rose Tyler. Thank you! All staff to their positions" God it was weird to have your own name in lines you remember. All of a sudden many smaller blue people started scurrying around the place, finding their positions to be ready for the guests.

"Hurry now! Thank you, as quick as we can! Come along! Come along!" The steward urged to the smaller people. "And now, might I introduce our next honoured guest, representing the forest of Cheem, we have Trees. Namely, Jabe, Lute and Choffa"

The doors opened to show said Trees, who looked oddly humanoid despite being obviously made of wood and leaves. It had always looked to Alex personally like a sister and two older brothers, but the show never seemed that specific. She liked Jabe. A pang of guilt hit Alex's chest when she thought about how this would end for her. Perhaps one more life form than was meant to be would be alright? But the Doctor said when Rose saved her father that there was a man alive in the world who wasn't meant to be, and that was a huge problem. _I guess we'll just have to see_ Alex thought to herself. She had made up her mind, set her resolve, no one was going to die that didn't have to.

The doors opened again and Alex realised she had zoned out from the steward's speaking and watched as the different aliens came in in their correct order, just as they were introduced. The first few she had missed the names for, but she did her best to listen attentively for the rest.

Jabe walked up to them a bit later, the two on either side of her carrying trays of small plants.

"The gift of peace" She announced, handing The Doctor one of the pots. "I bring you a cutting of my grandfather"

"Thank you!" The Doctor replied enthusiastically, taking the gift and handing to Rose. "Yes gifts… erm" He cleared his throat almost uncomfortably as he felt his jacket pockets for anything. Alex silently berated herself, knowing she could have found something in the TARDIS to offer. But now she had to watch the Doctor offering 'air from his lungs'. Like he was doing now…

"How… intimate" Jabe smiled.

"There's more where that came from" The Doctor replied flirtatiously.

"I bet there is"

Alex did her best to retain her composure but she wasn't sure if it was okay to laugh at this point. Attempting not to became ten times harder when she spotted the look on Rose's face. She, well, she had the sort of look on her face that should be expected of someone who has just witnessed their companion flirt with a tree.

"Sponsor of the main event, please welcome The Face of Boe" The steward announced, distracting Alex from The Doctor's flirting. She perked up instantly, smiling as The Face of Boe was brought in. She almost thought she saw him smile when he caught sight of her.

She watched as he took up a place in the corner by the window and surveyed the room. She didn't even notice the Moxx of Balhoon approach and when The Doctor offered air from his lungs and the Moxx spit in Rose's eye. She didn't see the Adherants of the repeated meme approaching or giving their gift either.

"Alex, catch" The Doctor caught her attention, tossing the silver egg into the air and Alex caught it effortlessly. He smiled at her and she smiled back, looking the egg over, knowing exactly what it was.

"And last but not least" The steward continued, having been continuing introductions the whole time. "Our very special guest. Ladies and gentlemen, Trees and multiforms. Consider the Earth below." _Oh no_ "In memory of this dying world" _Don't, just stop_ "We call forth the last human" _Bloody hell_

The doors opened and Cassandra, the last so called 'human' was wheeled through with her two servants. Alex missed the way The Doctor looked to see Rose's reaction, knowing Alex was already more accustomed to this sort of stuff. When he looked at Alex though his gaze lingered, watching the way she stood rigid and held the silver ball tightly in her left hand.

"The lady Cassandra O'Brien dot Delta seventeen"

"Oh now don't stare" Casandra, laughed, much to Alex's annoyance. The Doctor took note of how she clenched her jaw and reached out to take her hand on his side, which was hanging beside her. He felt her grip immediately tighten and gave her hand a gentle squeeze in reassurance. Alex's grip loosened slowly in his as she calmed.

"I know I know, it's shocking isn't it? I've had my chin completely taken away and look at the difference! Look how thin I am!"

"Five billion years and we still haven't changed a bit" Alex muttered under her breath. The Doctor laughed silently but Rose was simply staring at Casandra in amazement.

"Thin and dainty!" Cassandra went on. "I don't look a day over two thousand. Moisturise me, moisturise me" She ordered quieter to her servants. One moved to spray her from some kind of canister beside her.

"Truly, I am the last human"

Alex's grip tightened again. Rose started forward slowly, moving around Cassandra to get a better look as she continued to prattle on.

"My father was a Texan, my mother was born in the Arctic desert. They were born on the earth and were the last to be buried in its soil. I have come to honour them and… *Sniff* say goodbye. Oh, no tears" She went on, beginning to tear up as one of her servants stepped forward, wiping her eyes. "But behold! I bring gifts from Earth. The last remaining ostrich egg" A member off staff stepped forward with a large egg, showing it around as Cassandra spoke.

"Legend says it had a wingspan of fifty feet and blew fire from its nostrils. Or was that my third husband?" The Doctor laughed, glancing to his side to see that despite how much she disliked Cassandra, Alex actually managed a smile as she rolled her eyes.

"Who knows! Oh don't laugh I'll get laughter lines" Cassandra laughed a little, mumbling uncomfortably to herself. Alex rolled her eyes, letting out a quiet sigh.

"And here, another rarity" Cassandra continued. The men behind her wheeled in a large jukebox. Alex tilted her head slightly and her eyes widened. That thing would be a rarity, it was pretty damn rare in her time around five billion years ago. _How'd they even find that?_ Alex thought to herself. "According to the records this was called an 'ipod'" Cassandra told everyone. Alex snorted quietly, leaning in to The Doctor as she whispered.

"Does this happen a lot? I mean you've probably seen most of human history, how much of it is Chinese whispers?"

"Just about all of it" He whispered back. Alex laughed quietly again and The Doctor smiled down at her.

In their conversation they missed Cassandra talking about 'humanity's greatest composers' but stopped just in time to hear 'Tainted Love' begin to play and The Doctor bobbed around on the intro, smiling at the sound. Alex laughed as she watched him and he continued to grin as he looked down at her.

This one does an awful lot of grinning.

"Refreshments will now be served. Earth death in thirty minutes" The steward announced.

"Refreshments" Alex repeated, looking up at The Doctor. "Alcohol?" She asked innocently. The Doctor frowned at her but couldn't help the bemused expression crossing his face at how she somehow managed to make the question so very innocent.

"Really? I didn't think you'd be one to drink" Was all he said. Alex couldn't help but notice the way he looked between her eyes, as if searching for an answer inside. Alex shrugged.

"Well not much but sometimes my family..." Her smile faded as she paused in her speech, thinking. "Never mind" She shook her head. The Doctor opened his mouth to reply but Alex nodded towards Rose then, cutting him off. "Might want to look into that" She told him as they watched Rose turn and run from the room.

"Oh" The Doctor said quietly, concern etched onto his features. Little did Alex know, a majority of that concern was still for her. The Doctor knew already of course that Alex was both very selfless and very stubborn, whether he liked it or not he couldn't talk to her until they were sure Rose was okay.

"Alright, I'll go talk to her" He told Alex, turning to face her fully. "Don't start a fight, don't wander off and don't… get kidnapped" He finished. Alex raised an eyebrow. He'd basically just summed up everything she'd been doing between sightseeing the past few weeks.

"No promises" She responded, but a smile rose to the surface. He, knowing her so well, knew she'd still try her best. He rolled his eyes as he left, a smile playing on his lips also as he followed Rose to the door. Alex watched him a moment, seeing him stop as Jabe called out to him, letting her scan him with her device. She nodded her thanks and The Doctor glanced back at Alex, taking note of her knowing smile as he turned and continued once again to the door.

Alex glanced around once he had gone, the room was filled with many different species and but Alex couldn't see any she recognised. Until of course her eyes settled on The Face of Boe in the corner. Alex smiled to herself as she ventured over.

' _Hello, fledgling'_ A voice sounded in her head. Alex smiled, albeit a little bemusedly.

"I'm not that young am I?" She asked, laughing slightly.

 _'It is your first time seeing me, is it not?'_ He responded. Alex laughed again.

"Well you got me there. It's good to see you" She told him honestly.

 _'It's good to see you. How long has it been for you?'_

"A few weeks give or take since I got here" She told him, giving a small shrug. There was a moment of silence.

 _'I'm sorry'_ Alex nodded, suddenly holding back tears as she thought again of everything she had left behind. Everything she never knew she had until now. She thought of something new every day. She suddenly felt a comforting presence, like a calmness wrap around her and smiled, looking up at The Face of Boe. She knew it had to be something to do with him.

 _'And The Doctor?'_

"What about him?" Alex asked, genuinely confused by the question.

 _'How has he been treating you?_ '

Alex shrugged. "Great I guess. I mean he's been keeping away from the topic as much as I have since the first day" She thought about that for a moment, keeping quiet before another thought struck her. "See, you meet us for the first time later, with Rose and The Doctor still in this regeneration –thank god for your piece of space junk by the way – but you've seen The Doctor since then" She paused and The Face of Boe- Jack- said nothing. He knew what she was talking about then. "Utopia. Was I there?" She asked hesitantly, she felt like she didn't want to know the answer, but another part of her felt like she had to. Jack said nothing, watching her silently for a moment.

' _Would the owner of the blue box in private gallery fifteen please report to the steward's office immediately. Guests are reminded that the use of all teleportation devices is strictly forbidden under Peace Treaty 5.4/cup/16. Thank You'_

The voice that came over the loudspeaker was not the automated female voice. In fact the steward's voice that everyone heard was quite the opposite.

 _'You'd better go find him'_

Alex just stood there another moment, watching him and he did the same. She nodded eventually.

"Alright" Was all she said, turning her back on him and walking away. She loved Jack, she really did, and she understood why he couldn't tell her, but she wanted to know. _Spoilers_ She thought to herself, beginning to search the ship for The Doctor and Rose Tyler.

 _'Earth death in twenty-five minutes. Earth death in twenty-five minutes'_

Alex tossed the silver ball from hand to hand before she felt in shift under her palms. She stopped walking, looking down at it as she held it on both her flat, opened hands. The ball slid open and a metal spider came crawling out, stopping on her hands and scanning them before looking up. It seemed to watch her curiously as it scanned her face and she smiled. These things were actually kind of cute.

"Hello" She said in a friendly tone. "My name's Alex. I like you" She continued, not really thinking about what she was saying. What else was there _to_ say? "What about you? Any name?" She asked. The spider simply stared at her. Alex watched it, quickly becoming fond. "You know" She said in a softer voice. "You don't have to listen to her. That mean lady. You can stay with me, and I'll look after you" She frowned then. "Do you need looking after? I mean, you wouldn't need to eat or anything" The spider's red eye flashed for a second and Alex laughed, realising that was it blinking at her. It was really kind of cute now.

"I'll look after you mate. But you'll need a name then" Alex thought to herself. A name for a metal spider. She thought through names of metals before tuning to names of spiders. Finding nothing good there, she searched her mind for a name in general. She sighed, moving her hands so that she kept the spider in one and took the opened sphere in the other, placing it in the pocket inside her jacket. She was surprised when she felt it shift as she placed it carefully away. The whole thing opened like the first half of it had earlier and she was left with a nearly flat curved piece of metal. It might be useful later.

The spider watched her move, not making any attempts to escape and simply observing the human before it. Alex smiled at it, the opened sphere safely in her pocket.

"Look at you" She told it softly, stroking the metal affectionately. The creature moved into her hand and Alex laughed slightly. "I knew you could be peaceful didn't I?" She thought of something then, knowing suddenly what she would call her new pet.

"Amity" She said, smiling. "Your name can be Amity, yeah?" The spider seemed happy with the choice, whirling around on her palm a couple times before doing what looked almost like nodding. Alex laughed. "Alright then Amity, you can stay with me" The creature did just that, climbing up her arm and around her back before settling on her opposite shoulder. Alex smiled at it before continuing her search for the two she had been looking to find in the first place. It wasn't long until she heard a familiar voice, one that didn't sound too happy.

"No! You were too busy thinking up cheap shots about the Deep South! Who are you then, Doctor? What are you called? What sort of alien are you?"

"Not good" Alex muttered, picking up speed as she followed the voice.

"From what planet?"

She heard Rose's question but not The Doctor's quiet answer before it. Until his next shouted response. This was not good.

"Well it's not as if you'd know where it is!"

"Where are you from!?"

"What does it matter?!"

"Tell me who you are!"

Alex flinched at that one, realising how much it sounded like the guy on floor five-hundred whose name she couldn't remember. The Doctor never dealt well with questions like these. He had a reason not to of course. Alex reached the door where she heard their voices coming from and it slid open soundlessly.

"This is who I am, right here right now, alright?" The Doctor shouted angrily, making Alex freeze in her place. Neither of the room's current occupants seemed to notice her. "All that counts is here and now, and this is me!"

"Yeah, and I'm here too because you brought me here, so just tell me!" Rose retaliated in a shout.

"Rose" Alex spoke up, her voice, even but loud, startling Rose. She stared at her in disbelief. Alex had never shouted or anything of the like since she'd known her. Of course, she hadn't known her long, but she hadn't ever yelled. That plus the intenseness of the stare from a girl who always seemed upbeat and happy.

 _'Earth death in twenty minutes. Earth death in twenty minutes'_

The Doctor, stood, walking quickly down the stairs in the middle of the room and stopping at the window. He kept his back to the two and Rose glanced at him before looking back to Alex. Her gaze softened immensely and all of a sudden she was the kind and caring girl Rose was coming to know. She gave a small incline of her head in answer to her unasked question. Rose didn't respond but stood and slowly and carefully approached The Doctor, standing uncomfortably a foot or so behind him.

Alex stayed beside the now closed door as she watched the two. She had a hope that she had somehow helped in the reconciliation that was going on she knew it would have happened anyway. Alex rarely made a difference like that, although she tried.

"Alright" Rose began hesitantly, her voice significantly softer than before. "As my mate Shareen says, don't argue with the designated driver" Alex smiled at that, knowing although she couldn't see, that The Doctor smiled too.

"Can't exactly call for a taxi" Rose continued, taking out her mobile. "We're out of range, just a bit" She joked. Alex smiled, but not all at the joke, as she watched The Doctor turn back to Rose.

"Tell you what" He began, taking Rose's phone from her hands. He took the back off and took something else from his pocket. "With a little bit of jiggery pokery"

"Is that a technical term, 'jiggery pokery'?" Rose asked. Alex could hear the smile in her voice.

"Yeah, I came first in jiggery pokery, what about you?"

"Nah I failed hullabaloo" Rose responded in a similar joking manner.

"Ooh" He muttered and Alex laughed as he handed Rose her phone back. "There you go" Rose looked at the phone and back at him. Coupled with a nod from him she opened her phone and dialled. The Doctor turned as her phone rang and looked back at Alex. Alex's heart skipped a beat as happened every time her name was included or someone, mostly him, looked at her. After weeks of attempting to adjust she still found herself almost forgetting she wasn't watching this on a tv. The way she often stood back didn't help, but she had always preferred watching from a distance.

"Your turn" He told her, holding out his hand.

"What?" She raised an eyebrow. The Doctor rolled his eyes.

"What do you think? I know you must have a mobile, you're from past 2005 sometime you said, no one your age past 2005 wouldn't have a phone. Now give it here" He summed up, the last part with a more joking manner. Alex laughed at that, walking down the wider parts of the descending floor instead of the stairs and stopped on the last one, digging in her pocket and handing her phone down to him. He took the back off and fiddled with it a moment before handing it back.

"Ready to go" He smiled.

"Now I just need someone to call" Alex joked. The Doctor stopped and frowned, as if realising his mistake. "It's fine" She said before he had the chance to apologise. "I'm all ready for anything now. And this way Rose and I can communicate if ever we get separated"

The Doctor smiled and Alex smiled back at him.

"Who's this then?" He asked, noticing the metal creature on Alex's shoulder.

"I found him" She told The Doctor, not really a lie. "He's got no one, can I keep him?" She looked to him, blue eyes shining with hope and The Doctor couldn't help but give in.

"Alright then, but I've nothing to do with it" He relented. "But it causes any trouble, its gone, agreed?"

"Agreed" She grinned. She took the creature from her shoulder then, holding it out for The Doctor to take, which he did. The spider rested in his cupped hands, scanning him and watching him curiously. "Say hello to Amity" Alex told him. The Doctor smiled down at the creature.

"Hello Amity" He relented. Amity blinked its light in what was almost a greeting before it turned and jumped from his hands back to Alex. It clung to her clothing and crawled back up effortlessly to perch on her shoulder.

Alex looked passed him then, towards Rose and the window and The Doctor followed her gaze. He turned fully so that he was beside her as she sat on the small level above where he stood.

"No! I'm fine!" Rose reassured her mother through the phone "On top of the world" Alex and the Doctor laughed as she grinned back at them. Rose lowered her phone from her ear then, looking at it in amazement.

"You think that's amazing wait until you see the bill" The Doctor joked.

"That was five billion years ago. So she's dead now. Five billion years later my mum's dead"

"Bundle of laughs you are" The Doctor commented.

"Ooh, you're a cheery one" Alex said at the same time, thinking of the Eleventh Doctor's reaction to the same kind of comment. Why did they always go for the 'everyone I know is dead'?

The whole platform suddenly shook around them and Alex looked around as did the other two occupants of the room.

"That's not supposed to happen…" The Doctor.

"That's curious" Alex.

Rose remained silent, looking between the two a little concerned.

The three of them left the room to venture down the halls once again. As Alex passed Rose Amity decided he wanted to meet the one person he hadn't scanned yet and jumped from her shoulder to land on Rose. She let out a cry of surprise, attempting to shake him off.

"No, he's fine, he won't hurt you" Alex assured her. Rose stopped trying to swat him away but still stared at him with wide eyes as he scanned her with his little red light. "His name's Amity" Alex smiled at her, Rose having missed it the first time while she was on the phone. "That's how he greets people, gets to know you"

"Uh, hi Amity" Rose said to him, holding her arm with him out away from her. She seemed calmer but still didn't lose her tenseness as she watched him. He blinked to her before jumping back to Alex like he had done from The Doctor.

 _'Honoured guests may be reassured that gravity pockets may cause slight turbulence, thank you'_ The steward announced from the loudspeakers.

"Gravity pockets" Alex muttered under her breath, not convinced. The Doctor frowned to himself also as they stepped into the main room again.

"That wasn't a gravity pocket" The Doctor told them, fiddling with the control panel. "I know gravity pockets and they don't feel like that" Jabe walked up beside them as he spoke and The Doctor turned to her. "What do you think Jabe? Listen to the engines, they pitched up about 30 hertz, that dodgy or what?"

"It's the sound of metal, it doesn't make any sense to me" She responded.

"Where's the engine room?" He asked her. Alex frowned, elbowing him in the ribs. He glanced down at her frowning. "What?"

"Not everyone really cares to know stuff like that, you're just weird" She told him. He frowned at her again.

"But the maintenance duct is just behind our guests suite" Jabe spoke up, giving The Doctor an opportunity to smile smugly at her. "I could show you and…" She looked at Alex for a moment. "Your wife" Alex's mouth fell open and she felt her cheeks heat up.

"She's not my wife" The Doctor answered quickly. Alex managed to compose herself, but it just went downhill from there.

"Partner"

"No"

"Concubine?"

"No" She would have to ask him about that one later.

Jabe stared at her for another moment.

"Prostitute…"

Alex's mouth fell open in shock for the second time in moments, incredibly offended.

"Whatever she is, it must be invisible" Rose spoke up, moving forward as she hadn't been noticed yet. "Do you mind?" She stepped forward and took Alex's hand then. "Tell you what, you two go and pollinate, we're going to catch up with family. Quick word with Michael Jackson" She began to lead the way over to Cassandra and Alex simply followed, still holding her hand.

"Don't start a fight" The Doctor called to them, glancing at Alex as he repeated what he'd said earlier. He then turned and offered his arm to Jabe. "I'm all yours" He told her. Alex wasn't sure why that simple few seconds that she'd seen so many times hurt, but she composed herself, hiding the feeling away.

"And I want you home by midnight" Alex called out to him as he left. He grinned back at her before the doors closed.

 _'Earth death in fifteen minutes. Earth death in fifteen minutes'_

Alex stared at the closed doors for a minute, shocked by herself.

"You alright?" Rose asked, trying to get her attention. Alex looked over at her and nodded.

"Yeah, yeah I am" She told her, before remembering something. "And thanks, for that, speaking up for me. I'm sorry about yelling at you earlier" Rose simply nodded.

"That's alright, I crossed a line that I didn't know was there and you did. You did the right thing. And as for speaking up for you, well that's what you do for friends" She smiled. Alex found herself smiling back. "Come on" She told her then, gesturing over to the human trampoline. "Michael Jackson?"

"Michael Jackson" Alex agreed, smiling with her friend.


	5. Death of the Earth

"Come on" Rose told her then, gesturing over to the human trampoline. "Michael Jackson?"  
"Michael Jackson" Alex agreed, smiling with her friend.  
-

"Soon the sun will blossom into a red giant and my home will die" Cassandra told the two. If Alex was being honest she'd say it was rather dramatic. The three of them stood by the window, looking down at the Earth. Alex stood on the other side of Rose, having never been a fan on Cassandra from the beginning. She reminded Alex of the piece of humans she hated most. All 'have to be thin' and 'look how pretty I am' and of course the way she hated the rest of the still-existing humans simply because they moved past the discrimination, while she didn't. All in all there was probably no way she could ever like her.

"That's where I used to live, when I was a little boy. Down there" She continued, unaware of Alex's mini inner monologue. Alex remembered the line well, how it surprised her and how it surprised her mother and her brother when she watched it the second time with them. Alex felt it all wash over her again, how far they really were from her. Not just in time like Rose but in space, a way they could never connect again. Alex wondered again if they'd even notice she was gone.

"I am the last _pure_ human" Cassandra claimed, breaking Alex from her thoughts. "The others… mingled" She explained, sounding disgusted by the thought. "Oh they call themselves 'new humans' and 'proto-humans' and 'digi-humans' and even 'human-ish' but do you know what I call them? Mongrels" She lowered her voice for the last part.

"Hmm" Alex hummed, trying to seem calm. "Me, I've always called myself hybrid" She shrugged. Rose grinned at that, while Cassandra all but glared at her with a 'humph'.

"Right, and you stayed behind" Rose confirmed.

"I kept myself pure" Cassandra corrected.

"How many operations have you had?" Rose asked, frowning.

"Seven hundred and eight. Next week it's seven hundred and nine, I'm having my blood bleached. Is that why you wanted a word? You could be flatter, Rose. You've got a little bit of a chin poking out"

Alex frowned at that, brushing over the part where she purposely left her out.

"I'd rather die" Rose replied instantly.

"Honestly, it doesn't hurt…" Cassandra tried again, assuming that was her problem.

"No, I mean it" Rose rephrased. "I'd rather die. It's better to die than live like you, a bitchy trampoline" Alex grinned at her new friend, knowing for sure she really liked her now.

"Oh well, what do you know" Cassandra scoffed, attempting to brush her off.

"I was born on that planet. And so was my Mum, and so was my Dad. Alex and her parents were born there and that makes us officially the last two human beings in this room. Cause you're not human. You've had it all nipped and tucked and flattened till there's nothing left. Anything human got chucked in the bin. You're just skin, Cassandra. Lipstick and skin. Nice talking" With that, Rose turned and walked away, Alex following behind her, glad to be away from the 'human' trampoline.

Alex and Rose wandered the corridor for a bit before they turned a corner to see three lager aliens wearing black cloaks. Alex had forgotten what they were called but not what they did next. She stopped, retreating back around the corner to hide. She heard Rose fall to the ground and ran as fast and as silently as she could away from them. _Sorry Rose_

Alex wandered, tears drying on her face as she thought about Rose in regret. The Doctor would save her, she'd be fine. What she needed to do now was find him. 'Toxic' started playing suddenly and Alex stopped, knowing exactly what was happening now. She had to get to the steward's office, and fast, if she wanted to find The Doctor now. She took off at a run, knowing part of the way this time. When she got there some of the small staff members were standing in front of the door, squeaking and crying out as light shone through the small window in the door. Alex quickly pulled them away, trying to calm them as she kept them out of the light and tried to ignore the smell coming from the office.

Someone had just died, and Alex had done nothing about it.

A hand was suddenly on her shoulder and Alex jumped, spinning in time to see The Doctor move passed her and to the control panel. He used his sonic screwdriver on it for a moment and the sun filter began to rise, paired with the robotic voice.

"Was the steward in there?" Jabe asked from beside Alex, concerned.

"You can smell him" The Doctor stated, sad but still business-like. He poked at the panel for another moment then, frowning.

"Hold on, there's another sun filter programmed to descend" He found it quickly and took off running. "Alex!" He called back and Alex knew what he was asking and set off running after him. They stopped at the door to another viewing gallery where the computer was announcing a sun filter descending.

"Is anyone in there?" He asked, already working on the panel.

"Let me out!" Rose's voice called desperately through the door. The Doctor looked to Alex, almost seeming confused before he turned to the door.

"Oh well it would be you" He muttered, keeping his focus on the panel.

"Open the door!" Rose shouted again.

"Hold on, give us two ticks" The Doctor called back. He continued to work quickly until the screen the rising of the sunfilter. Alex let out a deep breath and The Doctor turned to her again, watching her closely for a moment.

' _Sun filter rising. Sun filter rising. Sun filter descending'_

The Doctor whipped back around to the control panel, eyes wide.

"Just what we need, the computer's getting clever" He announced, irritated.

"Will you stop mucking about!"

"I'm not mucking about, it's fighting back!"

"Open the door!"

"Hang on!"

Alex backed up against the wall running her hands through her hair as she watched The Doctor work frantically. She hoped against all hope that her just being here wouldn't cause some kind of butterfly effect.

Amity seemed to notice his owner's distress and jumped away quickly. The Doctor jumped back when he crawled across the control panel, messing with the buttons and typing something in.

"Hey get off!" The Doctor shouted at him, trying to shoo it away. Before he got him away however the sunfilter began rising again. The Doctor looked down at the metal creature that blinked back up at him.

"Thank you, Amity" He told it. He looked to the door then, finding it jammed.

"The whole thing's jammed, I can't open the doors" He called to Rose. "Stay there! Don't move!"

"Where am I gonna go?! Ipswitch?!" She called through terrified sarcasm.

"Alex, we've got to- Alex, are you okay?" He changed quickly, noticing her trying obviously to fix her breathing and her hair messed from running her hands through it constantly. She nodded.

 _'Earth death in five minutes. Earth death in five minutes'_

"Come on" She spoke first, her voice calm and steady, surprising him. Amity climbed up over The Doctor's shoulder and Alex took his hand letting Amity move from one to the other, settling on Alex's shoulder.

When they reached the main room Jabe had another of the metal spiders and was working on a computer. She glanced at the spider on Alex's shoulder but said nothing as it sat still where it was.

"The metal machine confirms" She told everyone. "The spider devices have infiltrated the whole of platform one"

"How's that possible?" Cassandra spoke up, much to Alex's dismay. "Our private rooms are protected by a code wall. Moisturize me, moisturize me" The Doctor took the spider from Jabe's hands and fiddled with it a moment.

"Summon the steward!" One of the Aliens called out.

"I'm afraid the steward is dead" Jabe told them sadly.

"Who killed him?" The same alien asked, looking between her, Alex and The Doctor. Alex stood beside the door, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, Jabe sat by the computer and The Doctor paced back and forth between them as he worked on the spider.

"This whole event was sponsored by the face of Boe!" Cassandra declared. "He invited us!"

"Oh shut up Cassandra" Alex snapped, having had enough. Cassandra stopped talking, glancing at Alex uncomfortably but doing as she said.

"Easy way of finding out" The Doctor cut in, holing up the spider. "Someone brought a little pet on board. Let's send him back to master" He placed it down on the floor, watching with everyone else as it scuttled around. It looked up at Cassandra for a moment before continuing to stop at the feet of the three completely covered in the long black robes.

"The Adherants of the Repeated Meme" Cassandra called out, "J'accuse!" Alex shot her an annoyed look and she quieted down again.

"That's all very well, and really kind of obvious" The Doctor went on, walking out in front of them. "But if you really think about it…" The creature in the front raised its arm, trying to attack him before he grabbed the arm and ripped it clean off. Alex smirked at that. The Doctor did love his dramatics.

"A repeated meme is just an idea, and that's all they are. An idea" He ripped a handful of wires from the arm and the three creatures fell to the ground. Everyone gasped but Alex just stared directly at Cassandra as she rolled her eyes. Cassandra noticed her staring, watching her emotionlessly and looked incredibly uncomfortable again.

"Remote controlled droids" The Doctor continued. "Nice little cover for the _real_ trouble maker" He glanced over at Alex and noticed her locked in what looked like a staring competition, knowing now for sure. But he knew he couldn't just announce to everyone that Alex knew the future, that would not be a good idea. "Go on Jimbo!" He told the unnamed spider, giving it a nudge with his foot. "Go home!" It ambled around a moment and stopped below Cassandra.

"I bet you were the school swot and never got kissed" Cassandra hissed at him. The Doctor simply raised his eyebrows but Alex laughed at the 'never got kissed' concept.

"At arms" Cassandra ordered and her servants held out the canisters in their hands.

"What are you going to do? Moisturise me?" The Doctor mocked.

"With acid" Cassandra corrected nonchalantly. Alex blinked, _that was blunt._ "Oh, too late anyway. My spiders have control of the mainframe. Oh, you all carried them as gifts, tax free, past every code wall. I'm not just a pretty face" She bragged.

"Just?" Alex raised an eyebrow, making Cassandra scowl at her. Alex simply smirked as The Doctor continued.

"Sabotaging a ship while you're still inside it? How stupid's that?" He scoffed, hoping for an explanation. He was not disappointed.

"I'd hoped to manufacture a hostage situation with myself as one of the victims. The compensation would have been enormous" Cassandra revealed, seeming put out.

"Five billion years and it still comes down to money" The Doctor spat out, disgusted.

"Do you think it's cheap, looking like this? Flatness costs a fortune. I am the last human Doctor. Me. Not those freaky little kids of yours"

Alex was furious. She didn't even register that she was moving forward until The Doctor held out an arm, stopping her. She didn't notice anything around her, only her anger burning inside her. It was the series of explosions that snapped her out of it. Alex looked quickly down at Amity, who stared up at her, his small body shaking and smoking slightly. The Doctor snatched him up quickly, using his sonic screwdriver frantically for a moment. Amity looked at Alex one last moment before his light went out and he stopped moving. Alex stared, wide eyes forming tears already. She hadn't expected to become attached that quickly.

"Force fields gone with the planet about to explode. At least it'll be quick, just like my fifth husband" Cassandra laughed at her own joke. "Oh, shame on me. Buh-bye darlings! Buh-bye my darlings…" Cassandra and her guards disappeared suddenly, teleported away.

 _'Heat levels rising'_

"Reset the computer!" The stout blue alien shouted out.

"Only the steward knows how" Jabe shook her head.

"No. We can do it by hand" The Doctor told them, handing the unmoving spider back to Alex. She took the frozen creature, holding it close. "There must be a system restore switch. Alex" She looked up, her face expressionless. "Come on" He told her softly, knowing she'd rather go with him than stay here alone, even in a room full of people. She gave a short nod.

"You lot, just chill" The Doctor announced as he left. Alex set the spider down beside the computer Jabe had been using before she followed The Doctor, running down the hallways as fast as her legs would carry her. The sadness and anger and grief from before all fully gone in that moment as it was replaced by pure determination. No one else would die here today. Jabe had stayed behind.

It was a mere few minutes until the two of them reached the ventilation chamber, the fans working quickly in an attempt to dispel the heat.

"Oh and guess where the switch is" The Doctor muttered, looking straight down passed the fans. Alex looked immediately to her right, knowing exactly what she was looking for. She found the lever quickly and pulled at it, holding it down with as much force as she could. She glanced up to see The Doctor looking at her uncertainly.

 _'Heat levels rising. Heat levels rising'_

"The heat's going to vent through this place Alex, far too much for a human body to handle" He told her worriedly.

"Then get on with it" She responded, raising an eyebrow in almost a challenge.

 _'External temperature, five thousand degrees'_

The Doctor turned back to the fans, spurred on by the girl behind him as he timed the moment to step past the first fan. Alex would never let anyone on this ship die if she could help it, he knew that. This had to work, it just had to. It would be a really short show otherwise.

 _'Heat levels hazardous'_

The Doctor looked up the next fan with apprehension, glancing back at Alex. She watched him unwaveringly, despite the sweat that coated her face and how laboured her breathing had become. He turned back to the fan, timing carefully before stepping through.

Alex watched him as he went, keeping her focus on him, even as she lost it on everything else. She felt the sweat that ran down her face and before long black spots danced in her vision. She had been hoping for a little more time. The lever under her hands burned at her skin but Alex kept a persistent hold on it. She cried out as the heat bit at her hands harder and her grip loosened. Alex panicked for a moment, holding it down harder only to find her strength failing her.

' _Heat levels critical. Heat levels critical'_

Alex found the lever too hard to hold at all before long and it simply slipped from her hands. She felt herself falling as the world darkened and disappeared. She felt the ground below her but heard the sounds around her still as the fans sped up impossibly and the computer began the countdown.

 _'Planet explodes in: 10, 9, 8'_

Alex tried and failed at opening her eyes and the world remained dark. She attempted to lift her hand but nothing happened.

 _'7, 6, 5'_

Alex tried and tried at every muscle in her body but everything was just too hot and too heavy. Nothing worked, but Alex knew what had happened last she'd seen. She pictured The Doctor stepping through the fan, eyes closed as he took the chance. She only hoped everything remained the same…

' _4, 3, 2, 1'_

Alex felt the explosion move passed the ship and knew the danger had been averted. She'd smile if she knew she was able to move. She felt the ship cool immensely and heard footsteps. Running, towards her. Alex heard the slight rustling of his clothes as The Doctor knelt down next to her.

"Please be okay, come on Alex, don't you dare leave me now" She heard. There were hands on either side of her face and she was being held off the floor. "Come on, we did it, open your eyes Alex, be okay, please" Alex tried as he said, her eyes flickered open although it took some effort. The Doctor came into focus and grinned uncontrollably as she looked up at him. Alex smiled weakly back.

"I always did look up to you" She joked, however weak it came out. The Doctor laughed still. He picked her up carefully and stood. Alex took a moment to realise he was carrying her out. Her eyelids felt heavy but Alex forced them open again, looking up at the man who held her. He smiled softly down at her as he walked.

"It's all okay now Alex" He told her. "We did it, it's safe now. I've just got one more thing to take care of. Go to sleep now"

Alex wanted to argue but her tired body refused to let her. So instead she closed her eyes and turned into The Doctor a little more, slipping away to the sound of his heartbeats.

Alex woke to realise she was laying on something much softer than the ground she had collapsed on. She felt around with closed eyes for a moment, finding the blanket draped over her after a moment. It was the familiarity of the blanket she'd had since she was twelve that told her she was in her room in the TARDIS. She opened her eyes after another minute, letting them adjust to the light and the room around her. Alex smiled, the first thing she saw being the stars on the celling of her room. The stars looked incredibly real and the TARDIS liked to change them sometimes. Sometimes it was the stars she saw from her bedroom in any of the three countries she'd lived in. Others it was a constellation she had really loved since her travels. The Medusa Cascade really was beautiful and it was easily her favourite.

That's what showed now, the stars and colours of the Medusa Cascade shone brightly down on her. She remembered the first day she had travelled with The Doctor. In between worrying about Rose not coming Alex had been thinking about seeing the Medusa Cascade. The Doctor readily obliged and soon they were floating around space orbiting the constellation. The two opened the doors and sat down just to admire it. Alex had loved it and The Doctor had taken note of it. The first time they had ever really gotten in danger he had taken her back to the TARDIS and told her he already knew their next destination. He moved the TARDIS and took her over to open the doors. It really did cheer her up and Alex had the feeling he'd never forget that one little fact. Neither did the TARDIS apparently.

Alex took a deep breath and proceeded to pull herself up, with some difficulty. She sat up in her bed but as she looked around she suddenly felt much more rested. Alex frowned down at her hands then, noticing for the first time they were wrapped in bandages. She suddenly remembered the lever getting hot, her hands burning to the touch and grimaced slightly. They felt fine though. She stood and made her way, however slow to the console room. The Doctor was standing by the controls with his back to her. He leaned on the console heavily, looking down and seeming incredibly lost. Alex stopped for a moment, watching him. He almost looked... defeated. Rose was nowhere to be found.

"Doctor" Alex called out softly, hesitantly. The Doctor turned quickly, looking her up and down.

"What're you doing here?" He asked, seeming confused. Alex frowned, not understanding. "You should be resting, you. Come on, bed" He stepped forward as if to lead her back to her room. Alex shook her head, walking past him onto the platform.

"I'm fine" She told him. "I'm awesome, not even tired anymore" He seemed unconvinced but nodded anyway.

"Alright then, here at least" He relented, putting his hands on her shoulders and guided her over to sit on the flight seat. Alex obliged and watched as he took her hands and carefully removed the bandages from the first. To her surprise it was completely unmarked. She looked up at him in surprise and he simply grinned back at her, starting on her other hand.

"Where's Rose?" She asked as he worked.

"Just outside" He nodded to the TARDIS doors. "Looking out at what remains" Alex smiled sadly at the thought.

"You should go talk to her" She told him. He looked up at her and gave a short nod in agreement, standing and making his way to the door. He stopped then, still facing the door but hesitating.

"What do I say?" He asked uncertainly, still staring at the door.

"Just listen first and you'll know" She answered the first thing she was thinking. He nodded and left. Alex stared at the door for a minute, waiting until it was opened again a minute later. The Doctor led Rose through, holding her hand. He stopped her beside Alex and moved around the console much slower than usual. Alex took Rose's hand and pulled her down on the seat beside her, wrapping an arm around the blonde.

"I know" She said softly, but hesitated before continuing. "I'm not from there though. That particular Earth I mean" Rose looked at her confused.

"What does that mean?"

"Alternate universe" Alex explained. "Half the people I know don't exist, the other half don't know me. My world may as well be gone" Rose looked at her sadly.

"I'm sorry"

"It's fine" She shrugged. "I'll be fine. After all" She looked up at The Doctor, who had stopped to watch the girls. "I've got friends here. I'll be all right" She smiled down at Rose as The Doctor parked the TARDIS. He walked over and held out a hand to each girl, smiling softly. The two returned a sad smile and took one of his hands, letting him lead them from the TARDIS.

They stepped out into a crowded shopping street that Alex could tell was in London. Present time for Rose or nearby according to any technology of architecture she saw. She looked around, taking in all of the noise of people walking, running, laughing and shouting over the rest. She took in the sight of every customer and vendor and shop and car and even welcomed the push of an impatient businessman that caused her to fall into The Doctor. He caught her effortlessly, glaring at the man a moment before looking down at her. Silently checking that she was okay. Alex smiled at him before turning back to Rose, who was looking at everything she'd seen a hundred times before with a look of almost sadness on her face, seeing everything in a new light.

It was all still here. Everyone was still alive and still on the one planet. Everyone here was suddenly alive again. But no one Alex knew.

"You think it'll last forever. People and cars and concrete. But it won't. One day, it's all gone. Even the sky" The Doctor told them, looking up on the last part. Alex and Rose did the same, looking up from the inside to the sky that they had just seen gone. "My planet's gone" Alex looked down, to him, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. She knew how hard it was to talk about what you'd lost. But this was on a whole other level.

"It's dead" He continued, looking at Rose as she looked at him. "It burned like the Earth. It's just rocks and dust, before it's time" Alex dropped her hand hesitantly and The Doctor took it in his instantly. Alex smiled sadly and gave his hand a comforting squeeze.

"What happened?" Rose asked softly. The Doctor hesitated.

"There was a war" Alex replied, just as quietly.

"And we lost" The Doctor finished.

"A war with who?"

The Doctor didn't answer and Alex looked back up at him. He seemed lost in thought. Before Alex could say anything images flashed by in her mind. Pictures of a burning city, children crying for parents who were likely dead, screaming and shouting and people dying everywhere. Zaps of alien sounding guns.

"What about your people?" Rose asked, getting no answer to her last question. Alex was brought suddenly back to reality at the sound of her voice.

"I'm a Time Lord" The Doctor told her. "I'm the last of the Time Lords. They're all gone. I'm the only survivor. I'm left travelling alone 'cause there's no one else"

"There's me" Rose told him.

"And me" Alex added. They smiled at him and he looked between the two before looking back at Rose.

"You've seen how dangerous it is. Do you want to go home?" He asked her. She thought a moment.

"I don't know. I want…" She sniffed at the air suddenly, noticing something. "Oh, can you smell chips?" Alex sniffed the air too, turning to see if she could see where it was coming from.

"Oh wonderful, chips" Alex added, looking around. The Doctor laughed at the two of them.

"Yeah" He nodded to Rose's question.

"I want chips" Rose finished.

"Me too" The Doctor grinned back at her.

"Nothing but yes over here" Alex added.

"Alright then, before you get us back in that box, chips it is, and you can pay" Rose declared, pointing to The Doctor.

"No money" He said simply. Rose frowned slightly and shifted to point at Alex, she shook her head.

"Don't look at me. Left my wallet in an alternate dimension"

Rose rolled her eyes, dropping her hand.

"What sort of date are you gonna have with no money?" She joked, looking between the two. Alex's eyes widened but The Doctor just smiled in amusement, not noticing. Rose noticed though and shot her a smile.

"Come on then, you tightwads, chips are on me" She told them. The Doctor and Alex both gave her a smile before looking up at each other, or in his case, down. They smiled at each other and took off with Rose on The Doctor's other side.

"We've only got five billion years till the shops close" Rose joked, laughing with the other two.

Alex smiled contented as she looked over at her two new friends. She had always imagined but never really thought this would happen. The Doctor and Rose Tyler going to get chips with her. Smiling and laughing with her. The way she looked away from the Doctor to Rose's almost knowing smirk. The way The Doctor smiled softly down at her and she smiled back at him. The way Alex walked with the two of them, unnoticed by the rest of the world. Just three strangers side-by-side, walking through the crowd hand-in hand.

The Doctor gave Alex's hand a squeeze as she leaned into his shoulder and she returned the gesture. Everything was perfect.


	6. A game of Dress-up

"Up! Up! Up! Alex! Wake up!" The Doctor shouted, running into Alex's room. Alex sat up slowly, blinking her tired eyes.

"What the hell are you doing?!" She shouted back at him, still squinting in the sudden light of him turning her light switch on. Her ceiling now showed a rising sun and Alex scowled at it.

"Come on! You've been sleeping long enough!" He continued to shout excitedly. "We've seen the future, I'm taking Rose to the past, now-" He was cut off when Alex had climbed out of bed and actually shoved him against the wall. He looked down at her with a surprised and even slightly scared expression.

"What have I told you about waking me up?" She growled.

"Don't do it"

"And what happened just now?"

"I did it"

"So now that you've woken me up, what do _you_ do now?"

"I'm gonna go back to the console room and wait patiently"

He moved backwards slowly before just about running from the room, heading back to the console room. Alex growled as she rubbed at her eyes. The TARDIS gave a calming hum and turned the light down, showing instead light from a bright full moon and stars. Alex smiled as she ran a gentle hand over the wall before heading over to her attached bathroom to get ready for the idiot by the console. Just as she was finishing she heard her bedroom door open.

"Alex? You in here?" Rose's voice called out.

"Bathroom" She called. "Won't be long" She heard the door close but the footsteps that followed were inside her room. She finished,making sure her hair was okay in the mirror before leaving the room.. Rose was lying on the bed looking up at her stars.

"Where is this?" Rose asked, pointing up, not taking her eyes off it. Alex lay down beside her looking up for a moment before finding a familiar star over to the right. The brightest star in sight that looked like a pinprick filled with light.

"Back at my house in Australia. Where I lived from when I was growing up, about eleven years. See that star there?" She pointed out the pinprick. Rose nodded. "Well I was never one for knowing names of stars or constellations but that was one I always recognised because it was always the brightest from where I stood. I used to imagine all the stars watched over the people on Earth and that one was mine" She explained. Rose smiled softly and the two watched in silence for a while. Alex noticed the TARDIS throw in a shooting star or two as they watched.

"How'd you get The Doctor out of your room this morning?" Rose asked, watching her out of the corner of her eye. "He wouldn't get out of mine until he pulled me out of bed, picked me some clothes and shoved me in the bathroom. I'm surprised he hasn't run back in here yet" Alex laughed.

"Yeah well I don't like being woken up. He should know that by now"

"He ran from here like he was being chased by a dragon"

The two both laughed at that.

"The dragon would've had more mercy" Alex responded. "He's now waiting _patiently_ in the console room" Rose laughed.

"God, I want to know how you do that"

"I'm scary"

The pair were still laughing as they pulled each other up from the bed and headed down to the console at a leisurely pace. The Doctor was sitting in the flight seat with his feet up on the console, his head back and his eyes closed as he waited. His head snapped up the second they walked in and he jumped up excitedly.

"You're here! Fantastic! Let's go!" He shouted, running circles around the console. He stopped in front of Alex then. "Sorry for waking you up" He said softly, his serious face on. Alex smiled at him.

"'s fine" She told him. He nodded, grinning again.

"Alright, come on you two, might need some help with this one"

* * *

"Hold that lever down!" The Doctor shouted above the sparking of the console. The whole of the TARDIS was shaking and Alex looked up for a moment as she heard the bells going off.

"I'm holding _this_ one down!" Rose shouted back.

"Well hold them both down!"

Alex reached over from her place trying to stabilise the flight and held the lever down herself. Of course that meant she had stopped working on the stabilisers and the ship gave another lurch.

"What did you do?!" Rose shouted out, noticing the shaking was worse than before.

"I didn't do anything!" He insisted.

"It was me!" Alex told them, shouting over the bells as the console sparked again. "I was working on the stabilisers but now that I'm not…"

"Well get back to the stabilisers!" Rose said like it was obvious.

"I can't I'm holding this lever down" Alex spoke quickly, exasperatedly.

"It's not going to work!" Rose called to the Doctor.

"Oi!" He shouted back, popping up from around the console. "I promised you a time machine and that's what you're getting. Now you've seen the future, let's have a look at the past. 1860. How does 1860 sound?"

"What happened in 1860?" Rose asked.

"I don't know" The Doctor shrugged.

"Let's find out" Alex added.

"Hold on, here we go!"

There was another lurch and Alex stumbled slightly. She held tightly to the railing as the TARDIS pillar moved along with its trademark sound. Despite saving herself from falling every other second Alex found herself grinning and she laughed happily as she poked at a switch here or there, attempting to calm the ship without hindering its flight.

Alex deemed she could let go of the lever and moved around the console, holding on and Passing Rose to stand beside The Doctor and look at the screen.

"Ooh, incoming!" Alex shouted in warning. She had barely spoken the words when the TARDIS gave one last sharp lurch and the three of them fell to the ground with the impact. The TARDIS was all but silent suddenly. Alex heard laughter from her right and turned to see The Doctor laughing to himself, also on the ground. Alex found herself laughing along with him, turning to see Rose do the same.

"Blimey!" Rose laughed out, sitting up.

"You're telling me!" The Doctor grinned, sitting up too. "Are you alright?" He asked, looking between the two as he stood. Alex nodded, giggling slightly still as she lay where she was.

"Yeah I think so, nothing broken…" Rose said, checking herself over for a moment. "Did we make it? Where are we?" She asked then, glancing down at Alex with a grin. The Doctor moved over to her first and grabbed hold of her hands, pulling her up.

"You right?" He asked again, still grinning in response to her own grin.

"Yeah, I'm good" She nodded, moving to the screen. "You've got to fix this Doctor, this is simply ridiculous" She complained, turning the screen of Gallifreyan writing towards him. He took the screen from her, reading over it.

"I did it! Give the man a medal" He grinned. Alex gave him a nudge. "Right, we did it. Earth, Naples, December 24th, 1860"

"That's so weird, it's Christmas" Rose awed. The Doctor stood up straighter and gestured to the door.

"All yours" He told her, smiling.

"But it's like, think about it though" She continued, walking slowly around the console as she spoke. "Christmas. 1860. Happens once. Just once and it's gone. Finished. It'll never happen again. Except for you" She looked intently at him a moment and then looked over at Alex the same way. "You can go back and see days that are dead and gone and a hundred thousand sunsets ago… no wonder you never stay still…"

"Not a bad life" The Doctor grinned.

"Better with three" She grinned back. She dashed past the two towards the door.

"Oi, oi, oi, where do you think you're going?" The Doctor called.

"Hey, not yet" Alex called at the same time.

"1860!" Was all she said, looking between the two.

"Go out there dressed like that, you'll start a riot! Both of you" He told them. Alex looked down and laughed, knowing he was right about her jeans. "There's a wardrobe through there" He pointed to one of the halls. "First left, second right, third on the left, go straight ahead, under the stairs, past the bins, it's the fifth door on your left. Hurry up!" He instructed them. Alex grinned and grabbed Rose's hand as she passed, rushing off to get changed.

She missed the soft smile from The Doctor as he stared after her, enjoying her excitement.

"This place is huge! How're we gonna find what we're looking for?" Rose asked, looking around the room, astonished as she spotted a second floor that was rimmed with a bar to keep anyone falling off.

"We ask the TARDIS" Alex said simply. She moved closer to one of the walls and ran her hand along it.

"Hello Sweetheart" She grinned, whispering so Rose didn't hear. "Mind helping us out? 1869" The TARDIS gave a small hum and all the lights switched off. Rose screamed in surprise and flailed to find Alex, clutching her sleeve when she found her. It was only a moment before lights turned back on one by one in a trail leading deeper into the wardrobe. Rose glanced at Alex, still looking slightly unnerved by the lighting but followed her as she set off. It didn't take long until the trail of lights stopped and a whole group turned on at once above a rail of old fashioned dresses. The girls grinned and looked at each other for only a moment before dashing in to pick out their clothes.

"Here, try this one" Rose told Alex, handing her a deep blue colored dress. It was darker than the TARDIS color but Alex still loved it immediately. She smiled as she took it from her friend.

"How well you know me" She mused, holding the dress in front of her. The TARDIS gave an appreciative hum and Alex grinned again. The dress itself went down to her ankles, proving it was a winter dress along with the thick cozy layers. It had thin straps but came with a dark grey cloak that covered her shoulders and provided an extra layer of warmth.

"This one then" Alex agreed.

* * *

"You're sure my hair is okay?"

"What are you fussing about? You don't usually care"

Alex sent Rose a small warning look as she touched her neat bun a moment. The two were walking down the hall back to the console room after changing.

"Well quit poking at it, it looks good, I did great" Rose told her, taking her hand away.

"I'm not so sure about this dress anymore" Alex frowned, looking down at herself worriedly.

"What's your problem? You don't care how you look, you don't even like dresses" Rose frowned, glancing at her friend. She realised then, mouth falling open. "Oh I know! It's him isn't it?" She asked knowingly.

"No!" Alex said too quickly, her cheeks quickly turning red.

"It is isn't it?" Rose teased, smirking. "You're in love with the Doctor!"

"No!" At Rose's look Alex rethought her answer. "No, maybe, possibly I mean it's- I little" She rambled on, finally telling the truth.

"Oh this is brilliant!" Rose exclaimed, moving to stand in front of Alex, stopping her. "You two are adorable together" She smiled.

"He doesn't like me that way" Alex sighed.

"Oh shut up, yes he does" Rose waved a hand. Alex blinked.

"What"

"But this is amazing! You have to do something!"

"No!" Alex hissed, looking over Rose's shoulder in case he came looking for them.

"Alright then, I'll have to do something" She declared.

"No!" Alex repeated. "You'll do nothing, understand? Nothing" She looked at Rose seriously and she sighed, looking sad now.

"Oh alright" She relented. The two stood in silence a moment.

"So you mean, you don't…" Alex began, not sure how exactly to ask.

"No! No, not at all" Rose shook her head. "No, he's all yours" She grinned again. She moved then, taking Alex's arm and leading her to continue into the console room. They stepped apart as they entered.

The Doctor was doing more unnecessary repairs, as he did often when he was bored. He turned off his sonic screwdriver and looked up expectantly as they entered. He stopped suddenly, looking up at the two of them.

"Blimey!" He exclaimed, staring at them in surprise.

"Well don't laugh" Alex scoffed, laughing herself.

"You look beautiful!"

Alex stopped laughing then, smiling softly as she looked down at the ground shyly. The Doctor had looked at her when he said that. When she'd seen it on TV Rose had been the only one there but being there now The Doctor looked at _her_. It was certainly trippy in an absolutely marvellous way. _Awesome_ Alex thought to herself, smiling at the ground.

"Considering…" The Doctor trailed off then, looking down at his work. Rose frowned at him but Alex simply smiled again, stepping forward and crouching down to get closer to his level. He looked up at her as she did.

"That I'm human" She finished, simply smiling at him. He smiled back and gave a little shrug.

"Well, yeah…"

"Aren't you going to change?" Rose asked from behind Alex.

"I've changed my jumper"

"He's changed his jumper"

The Doctor gave Alex a playful kind of scowl as she spoke with him and she grinned back at him in the cheeky way of hers. _God, I do love him_ Alex thought.

"Come on!" The Doctor called then, jumping out of the grating and on to the platform, turning towards the door.

"You stay there!" Rose ordered, pointing a finger at him, then to Alex. "You too. You've done this before, both of you, I know you have" She added, glancing at Alex with a little smirk. "This one's mine!" Rose ran to the doors and threw them open and Alex saw snow past her. Alex smiled, stepping forward before the Doctor caught her arm. Alex looked up at him frowning.

"Let's give her a minute" He suggested. Alex nodded, looking back to Rose in the doorway as she touched her foot to the ground before pulling back. Alex smiled to herself as she watched Rose step out fully then, looking around.

"Come on then" The Doctor said, walking forward. Alex followed him, stepping out into 1860 after Rose. Alex grinned as she looked down at the snow crunching below her feet and then up at the snow as it fell. She held her hands into the air, watching the snowflakes fall into her cupped hands. She smiled as she watched the snow fall, watching it land all around them and blinking when some flakes landed on her eyelashes. Alex actually laughed, loving the magical feeling of snow every time she saw it. She looked over at the other two then, still smiling gleefully. Rose was staring almost surprised but smiling with her. The Doctor was grinning with her, watching her movements carefully. Alex suddenly felt incredibly self-conscious and looked down a moment.

"Snow" She said simply, looking up at them again. The Doctor laughed and Alex grinned again, her and Rose laughing along with him. "Real snow too" She said quieter, looking up again.

"Ready for this?" The Doctor asked. Alex looked up to see him holding an arm out to her and Rose smirking knowingly at her from behind him. Alex took his arm with a smile.

"Here we go, history!" The Doctor chimed as held out his other arm for Rose. She copied Alex and soon the three were walking out into the snowy street in 1860.

They walked for a bit, talking and pointing at things until The Doctor caught sight of a man selling newspapers. He detached himself from the girls to buy one and unfolded it, scanning over it as they walked.

"I got the flight a bit wrong" The Doctor frowned.

At the same time:

"I don't care" Rose, grinning.

"I know" Alex, laughing.

The Doctor gave Alex a strange look and she simply laughed again.

"It's not 1860, it's 1869" He continued.

"I don't care!" Rose repeated, grin never faltering.

"I know"

"And it's not Naples"

"I don't care"

"I know"

"It's Cardiff"

Rose's grin faded then.

"Right" She muttered softly. Alex laughed.

"God, you are a terrible driver" She giggled. The Doctor actually looked offended.

"I'm a great driver" He retaliated.

"You know you're not, you never passed your test" Alex grinned at him. He frowned and opened his mouth to say something but instead shook his head, closing it again. Alex continued to laugh at him.

All of a sudden there was screaming coming from one of the buildings nearby. The Doctor and Alex looked over before looking to each other. They both grinned.

"That's more like it!" The Doctor spoke, throwing his newspaper over his shoulder and ran towards the screaming, as Alex was already doing. Rose simply followed the two. Alex looked around as she entered the theatre from which the screaming people were running. Through the last few panicking people she saw the two from the funeral home _is that what they called them back then? Wait, no, focus!_ Whatever their names were, were rushing towards the old woman in the middle of the room. As they shouted to each other over the screaming, the man on stage _I really need to get better with names_ was still attempting to get the last few people to calm down. Amidst it all, a blue gas floated upwards into the air from the old woman and flew around the room before getting sucked into one of the lamps.

"Fantastic" The Doctor grinned, watching the scene. Alex had to admit, it kind of was fantastic. He took off again, rushing up to the edge of the stage.

"Did you see where it came from?" He asked the man on stage.

"Ah, the wag reveals himself does he? I trust your satisfied sir" The man accused. The Doctor paused, looking incredibly taken aback.

"Oi! Leave her alone!" Rose shouted then. Alex turned to see the two from the funeral home picking up the old woman and carrying her out as hurriedly as they could.

"I'll get them!" Alex called to her friends before Rose could.

"Be careful!" The Doctor shouted out to her. Alex gave a quick two-fingered salute as she hurried after the two who had just left. She managed to catch up with them as they had just loaded the woman into the hearse.

"What're you doing?!" She shouted out, trying to act clueless. The girl stood in front of her, trying to block her view as well as keep her from approaching as she talked.

"Oh, it's such a tragedy miss. Don't worry yourself, me and the master will deal with it. The fact is this poor lady's been taken with the brain fever and we have to get her to the infirmary" She tried.

Alex pushed passed her, though feeling sorry for the poor girl. She reached out to the woman in the back of the hearse, feeling her forehead. It was cold to the touch.

"She's dead" Was all Alex said, pulling a face. She wasn't surprised, she's remembered that much, but she was still somehow disappointed, and she had never really seen a dead body up close. It was unnerving to say the least.

A hand suddenly clamped around her mouth and nose and Alex started, having forgotten in the moment all about this little fact. She tried to struggle against the man, pulling at his hand at her mouth. She remembered something she'd used on her brother a lot when she needed to steal something from his hands. It worked on everyone she had found out in her lifetime. She grabbed a hold of a single one of his fingers that time and pulled backwards, making him hiss in pain and pull his hand back instinctively to relive some of the pain.

The cloth was removed from Alex's mouth and she breathed in deeply, having been holding her breath best she could. It was obvious though that she already had too much in her system. Black spots clouded her vision and she felt dizzy and weak. Despite having just pulled away from him she found herself falling back into the man behind her again. He was talking to the blurry girl in front of her but she couldn't hear words as the cloth was over her mouth again and the world faded away.

"Alex!"

The voice was hazy and far away, but she heard it and it reassured her in some way. The Doctor was looking for her, and he wasn't far behind.


	7. Ghosts of the past and future

Alex faded back into the world the way seemed to be normal as far as she knew. She'd seemed to begin making a habit of being knocked out or falling unconscious recently and she'd almost gotten used to the slowly and bleary way she woke up. She wondered briefly is that should worry her but pushed the though away as she directed her mind towards where she was. Her hearing was first, but there wasn't much. A coach outside somewhere, voices a bit away, brief little sounds of the few people outside at this hour.

Touch was second, and Alex felt the cold metal table below her with more and more clarity rushing to her head. She was still wearing the dress. Her most dominant senses used, she lastly opened her eyes slowly, letting them adjust to the little light in the room. The sight of the ceiling and the few other things she saw had everything rushing back and she sat up quickly. She immediately regretted her decision as the world spun around her and she looked down, holding her head in her lap and closing her eyes with a soft groan.

There was movement behind her. Alex whipped her head back up and turned. She felt a little dizzy with that movement but it was less so and faded quickly so she ignored it. She decided to focus instead on the corpse rising out of its coffin behind her. Alex was frozen for a second as it shuffled its way out of the coffin and beginning to walk towards her. She snapped herself out of it and stood, rushing to the door. She tried to open it only to find it locked. Alex actually found herself growling as she turned back until the terror took over again. _What do I do, what do i- The Doctor's here_ Sure enough, one of the distant voices was him.

"Doctor!" Alex shouted without hesitation, her voice betraying her terror. The corpse was getting closer as another rose from the other side of the room. She spotted a vase beside her and picked it up, chucking it right at the corpse in front of her. _You kidnap me, you lose a vase._ "Doctor!" She called again, pressing her back against the door as the first corpse got close enough to reach her. She screamed, calling The Doctor's name once more before the door behind her opened.

"I think this is my dance"

Alex gasped, breathing quickly as she felt The Doctor's familiar hands pull her away and behind him. She clutched the back of his jacket instinctively, although immediately hating how childish and scared she felt. Rose stood behind her she noticed and attempted to step closer and offer Alex some comfort.

"It's a prank?" The other man suggested. "We're under some mesmeric influence"

"No we're not" The Doctor shook his head, watching the corpses. "The dead are walking" He smiled down at Alex then. "Hi!" He said it so happily Alex couldn't help but smile despite the slowly fading fear.

"Hi. Who's your friend?" She asked.

"Charles Dickens" He said simply.

"Oh, alright then" Alex nodded, her smile slightly forced as The Doctor faced the corpses again.

"My name's The Doctor. Who're you then? What do you want?" He asked them. Alex could tell how he tried at keeping calm with them. Kidnapping one of The Doctor's friends was not the best thing to do, no matter who you are. She was at least grateful he kept his arm out in front of her, making her feel incredibly safe compared to before.

"We're failing" The corpses spoke. "Open the rift, we're dying. Trapped in this form, cannot sustain, help us" they pleaded. Then all of a sudden both corpses threw their heads back and the same blue gas from before poured from their mouths and into the gas fixture leaving the bodies to fall to the ground.

Everyone was silent for a moment and Alex was only just getting her breathing under control as the Doctor turned and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly. Alex clutched at his jacket as she sighed again, relieved the terror was gone, for now. He stroked her hair softly a moment, letting her compose herself.

"You alright?" He asked in a whisper. Alex nodded and pulled away.

"Just scary" She told him, managing a weak smile. He smiled back at her and wrapped an arm around her as he led her along, talking to the others until they found themselves in what seemed to be the sitting room.

The girl, Gwyneth, was pouring them all cups of tea as they sat around the room. All except Rose of course, who was standing as she shouted, having a go at the man, Mr Sneed, for taking Alex. She had to admit it almost seemed like a sweet gesture, her verbally abusing someone for a friend.

"First of all you drug her, then you kidnap her" Rose fumed.

"And don't think I didn't feel your hands having a quick wander you dirty old man" Alex spoke up in the same tone, remembering the line and also remembering how true it had been. Rose glared at the man again as they heard. The Doctor, however, seem fairly amused by their team up making the older man look ashamed.

"I will not be spoken to like this!" Sneed insisted.

"Then you stuck her in a room full of zombies!" Rose continued on. "And if that ain't enough, you swan off! And leave her to die! So come on, talk!"

"It's not my fault! It's this house!" Sneed defended, nearly pleading. "It always had a reputation. Haunted. But I never had much bother until a few months back. And then the stiffs…" He trailed off then, noticing Dickens staring at him with an offended expression. Alex simply rolled her eyes. "The, er, dear departed started getting restless"

"Tommyrot" Dickens dismissed. Alex sighed, sitting back and closing her eyes to keep from calling everyone in the room an idiot. She felt The Doctor's eyes on her but ignored it. She had seen this so many times it had been seared into her brain. A single quote she could tell you circumstance, who was talking to who, episode and season. Not like she wasn't the one to choose to watch them over and over again. She loved every minute of it, it was just sad to her that she'd never see a new Christopher Eccelston or David Tennant episode. Every Doctor she had seen she had loved dearly and now she was living through them.

 _Even though you'll never live past Rose._

Alex shushed her mind before she could react physically. She could never mention anything to The Doctor. But she also couldn't hurt him like Rose's leaving did. Whatever Rose said about him being in love with her, if it was true it made things all the worse. She loved him but she knew that if he loved her she couldn't let him be hurt like that. Should she leave now? It would hurt him a lot less compared to… But could she leave him? She didn't want to, more than any other companion of his she was sure. It wasn't just the adventure and the time and space, for everyone it was him. But everyone usually had someone else. Alex had no one but him.

Alex blinked her eyes open, finding herself looking up at the ceiling of Sneed's now empty sitting room. She looked around, realising she must have fallen asleep and trying to remember where the others could have gone. It only took a moment, especially with her past thoughts to worry they'd left her. Alex hated her mind and tried to think logically but it kept going back to he must have left her.

Alex shook her head, holding it tightly as she curled in on herself in the corner of the small couch. She found herself calling for The Doctor before she could stop it and silently cursed herself. Too late, she heard The Doctor running into the room and he burst in, looking around a moment before finding her right where she had been and frowned at her new position. He moved slower then, coming to crouch before her and looking into her eyes. Neither of them noticed the girls standing by the door.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?" He asked softly. Alex shook her head.

"I'm fine, I just…" She trailed off, not wanting to say it. The Doctor waited a moment before moving slightly closer, taking her hands in his.

"Something's wrong, tell me" He said it like a request but Alex knew he was desperate to know. She hesitated a moment, until she felt tears threaten.

"I woke up and… I woke up alone" She whispered. Realisation crossed The Doctor's face and he suddenly looked very guilty. Alex suddenly felt guilty for making him guilty.

"I'm sorry" He said softly, moving one hand to cup her cheek. "It's alright, I'd never leave you" Alex nodded and he offered her a smile.

"Doctor… Can I ask you a question?" Alex asked hesitantly.

"You just did" he pointed out in attempt to cheer her up. She rolled her eyes but a small smile crossed her lips a moment. "Go ahead" He amended after a moment.

"Why do you… Keep looking at me like that?" She asked slowly, watching his reaction carefully. He paused, looking like he had absolutely no idea how to answer that question.

"You remind me of someone" He told her softly. Alex froze even as she felt her heart rate pick up. She thought over everything he could possibly mean by that, but her mind kept going back to the time in his future when he said those very words to Clara. But she couldn't've…

"Who?" She asked just as quietly.

"Someone I lost" He responded vaguely. There was a moment of silence but Alex recognised his sad reminiscing face and gave him a soft smile. He smiled in return and all of a sudden was back to his happy self once again.

"Guess what?" He asked, looking exited and holding both her hands again. Alex couldn't help but mirror his smile. He was just so adorable.

"What?" She asked, actually founding herself giggling in excitement along with him.

"We're going to have a séance" He told her, still grinning. Alex gave a small laugh, loving how he could be so excited about that.

"Alright" She nodded. He helped pull her up and let her stop to straighten her dress before leading her into the next room. The girls had already gone, neither knowing they had been watching in the first place. The Doctor sat her down before organising everyone else. Alex glanced over at Gwyneth then Rose before looking down at her hands, trying to escape their knowing smiles. The Doctor came and sat down beside her a minute later. Alex found herself between The Doctor and Gwyneth, with Dickens on the other side of The Doctor and Sneed beside him. Which left Rose between Sneed and Gwyneth. Alex couldn't help a small smile when she noticed all the girls were pushed together. It was something she'd notice on the TV.

The Doctor, who had been watching her carefully in his peripheral vision, smiled softly when he saw her smile. He wanted to be sure she was okay, not knowing for sure what had just happened but knowing there would be no discussing it until later. It was clear to him she seemed to have some kind of abandonment issue but he was unsure if it would have been from suddenly not existing in a world or if it was from before then. Whatever the cause, The Doctor was now certain he'd do anything to assure her he'd never leave and make sure she was never alone.

"This is how Madam Mortlock summons those from the land of mists. Down in mid-town" Gwyneth told them when they were all settled. "Come. We must all join hands"

"I can't take part in this" Dickens announced suddenly, standing.

"Humbug?" Alex teased, looking up at him with a childish kind of smile.

"Come on, open mind" The Doctor took over.

"This is precisely the sort of cheap mummery I strive to unmask" Dickens continued, unwilling to be persuaded. "Seances? Nothing but luminous tamberines and a squeeze box concealed between the knees" Alex glanced across the table at Rose, pulling a wide-eyed disbelieving face at the expression. Rose laughed a little but it didn't stop Dickens from adding "This girl knows nothing"

"Now don't antagonise her" The Doctor told him, catching on to Gwyneth's slight sadness at the comment. "I love a happy medium" He added, grinning, also catching on to the joking air from the girls.

"I can't believe you just said that" Rose laughed, shaking her head. Alex looked down into her lap as her shoulders shook with her own laughter. She took a deep breath and composed herself before looking back up. She even had to bite her lip to keep from laughing again as she looked at Rose again, seeing her do the same.

"Come on, we might need you" The Doctor added, looking back up at Dickens. He hesitated another moment before sitting back down. "Good man" The Doctor praised before turning back to Gwyneth. "Now, Gwyneth. Reach out"

"Speak to us. Are you there? Spirits?" She called. Alex looked around, looking for any and every sign of anything coming, her joking manner gone.

"Come, speak to us that we may relieve your burden" Her eyes raised to the ceiling as a soft murmuring filled the room. Alex shivered as the air seemed to get colder. Ghosts certainly weren't her thing, and that included ghost imitating aliens.

"Can you hear that?" Rose asked. Alex nodded slowly.

"Nothing can happen, this is sheer folly" Dickens dismissed.

"Look at her" Rose insisted.

"I can feel them. I can feel them!" Gwyneth exclaimed. Blue gas appeared behind her and Alex's breath caught a moment.

"What're they saying?" Rose asked, looking from the gas to The Doctor.

"They can't get through the rift" He told them, his voice in complete seriousness. How was Alex supposed to convince him not to let them use the bodies? "Gwyneth, it's not controlling you, you're controlling it. Now look deep, allow them through" He encouraged. Alex glanced around, her breath picking up as she watched everything blowing around the room from a wind that originated inside. Her hand clutched tighter at The Doctor's but she had tried her very best to not distract Gwyneth on her other side.

"I can't!" She insisted

"Yes you can. Just believe it, I have faith in you Gwyneth. Make the link" He urged her. She pushed harder and her face almost looked pained for a second when her head dropped forward suddenly and her eyes opened, staring ahead.

"Yes" She said simply.

Three humanoid figures appeared behind Gwyneth, the blue gas hovering just above her head. _Gelth._ The wind continued around them but it almost seemed to move just around the group of them, leaving them in a bubble of calm.

"Great god, spirits from the other side!" Sneed cried, watching in what Alex couldn't determine was horror or amazement.

"The other side of the universe" The Doctor corrected.

"Pity us. Pity the Gelth. There is so little time, help us" One of the creatures begged. Alex's eyes hardened, fear all but forgotten as she stared down the three.

"What do you want us to do?" The Doctor asked, getting down to business.

"The rift. Take the girl to the rift, make the bridge"

"What for?"

"We are so very few, the last of our kind, we face extinction"

"Why? What happened?" The Doctor had his worry face on. Damn that worry face. He was an optimist at the best of times, that was certain.

"Once we had a physical form like you, but then the war came"

"War? What war?" Dicken asked, seeming actually curious now.

"The Time War" The Gelth answered. Alex stopped, glancing between Rose and The Doctor, who were doing the same. "The whole universe convulsed" They continued, seemingly oblivious to the exchange between the three of them. "The Time War raged, invisible to smaller species but devastating to higher forms. Our bodies wasted away. We're trapped in this gaseous state"

"So that's why you need the corpses" The Doctor realised.

"We want to stand tall. To feel the sunlight. To live again. We need a physical form, and your dead are abandoned. They're going to waste, Give them to us!" They pleaded.

"But we can't!" Rose cried. The Doctor looked to her.

"Why not?" He demanded.

"It's not… I mean, it's not…"

"Not decent? Not polite? It could save their lives" He told her in an irritated tone. Alex paused a moment, should she say something? She decided on not right now.

"Open the rift" The Gelth spoke up again. "Let the Gelth through. We're dying, help us! Pity the Gelth!" Then they faded away, disappearing into blue gas which was sucked away and Gwyneth fell forward onto the table. Rose jumped up and went to check on Gwyneth, Dickens seemed to be in a sort of daze, muttering about it all being true. The Doctor simply sat silently, having removed his hand from Alex moments before. Alex glanced at him warily.

"Doctor, please, just listen…" Before she could finish he simply stood and walked out of the room. Alex didn't move, just sat where she was facing where he was a second ago, her mouth still open from her attempt. She sighed, pulling her legs up onto her seat and wrapped her arms around them, holding them to her chest as she buried her face in her knees. She should have known he'd do that but it still hurt to have him just walk away from her like that.

The Doctor's words echoed around her head. ' _It's alright, I'd never leave you'_ That didn't take long.

With a huff, Alex threw out her legs and stood, leaving the room the opposite way the Doctor took, ignoring Rose's gaze following her. She didn't look where she was going but sped up even as she was going until she found herself running as she burst from the door to the snowy outside. She didn't stop, just kept running through the snow. She had dropped her cloak inside and her arms were freezing in the biting wind but she didn't care. She didn't know where she was going and certainly wouldn't know how to get back but all she cared about right now was getting as far away from him as she could.

She didn't know how long she'd been running when her legs gave out from underneath her and she fell to the snow covered ground. The streets were empty. Alex was breathing hard and she knew she was panicking. She hadn't even realised she was crying until she reached up to swipe the tears roughly away. She never liked to cry, but sometimes, she just couldn't help it. Alex lowered her head, sitting there on her knees in the snow, and cried. This was another point she didn't know how long it was until she felt a hand on her shoulder. Alex's head snapped up with a gasp, her teary eyes not focussing on whoever it was. She wiped roughly at her tears with her freezing arm when something warm was draped over her. She blinked up to see the last person she had expected.

"Doctor?" She whispered, confused.

The usually cheery smile of Eleven looked sad.

"I thought you'd recognise me" He said softly. Alex blinked again.

"What are you doing here? You know you're…"

"Yes, I know" He nodded. "I also know what I just did" Alex lowered her head again.

"No, it wasn't your fault, I shouldn't have-"

"No, stop" He interrupted her. Alex blinked back up at him again. "None of this has ever been your fault. It doesn't matter if you knew or not, I've never been good with listening to you" He smiled sadly again. "Now come on, do I get a smile?" He asked. Alex scoffed lightly, but managed a light quirk of her lips. "A little better" He admitted. "Now come on" He pulled her to her feet.

"What?" Alex frowned at him. "Where are we going?"

"Not we, you" He corrected. Alex simply frowned again. "I'm going to need you in there. It's not like I'll listen to Rose you know" He smiled at her. Alex laughed a little. He began to lead her back through the streets, pulling his coat closer around her.

"You're going to get cold" She told him, frowning slightly in worry.

"Not me" He smiled down at her. "No, I'm fine. Fragile human bodies" He muttered the last part good humouredly. Alex glanced over at him and the coat around her. He looked like he was dressed for the time sort of but he never did that. Alex wondered when he was from. That was when she noticed something very strange. He was not wearing a bow tie. Alex looked back down at the ground as they walked, thinking.

"Where is it?" She couldn't help but ask. She saw him look down at her from the corner of her eye.

"Where's what?"

"The bow tie, you never go anywhere without one, where is it?" She rephrased, looking up at him then. He laughed.

"Oh, you never change" He mused, shaking his head. Alex frowned at him.

"What's that mean?"

"It means, you always notice the little things, and you always worry. I'm fine" He told her. Alex frowned, certainly not believing him but letting it go for now. "So like you but unlike you at the same time" He sighed then, before falling silent. Alex frowned again but still didn't say anything.

"Here" The Doctor told her stopping them. Alex looked up to find they were at some kind of back door to the house she had spent most of her night in. Alex almost hesitantly slipped the coat off her shoulders and handed it back to him and he took it with a nod, both knowing that they couldn't let the younger him see it. Alex started to the door before turning back.

"When's the last time you saw me?" She asked him, not being able to stop herself.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…" Alex trailed off. "I must have told you at some point…my internet, for some reason, connects back to my universe, with me in the show. And I looked up my name and found out I was a character" She took a deep breath before continuing. "And it says my last appearance… The same day as Rose" The Doctor's face seemed to fall then and Alex didn't like the sadness his eyes held.

"I can't tell you anything" Was all he said. Alex nodded.

"Alright then" She relented. She opened the door and glanced out behind her one last time but he was already gone. Alex took a deep breath to steady herself before she walked in, closing the door behind her. She strained to listen to try and find where they were up to. She heard voices from downstairs and frowned slightly, continuing on in a cautious pace until she heard words.

"Come to this world, poor lost souls!" Gwyneth.

Alex's eyes widened and she took off at a run.


	8. A Message from the Dead

Alex took a deep breath to steady herself before she walked in, closing the door behind her. She strained to listen to try and find where they were up to. She heard voices from downstairs and frowned slightly, continuing on in a cautious pace until she heard words.

"Come to this world, poor lost souls!" Gwyneth.

Alex's eyes widened and she took off at a run.

"It is begun! The bridge is made!"

Alex pushed herself, skidding to a stop unnoticed by the others in the doorway.

"She has given herself to the Gelth!"

"No!"

It took Alex a moment to realise the shout came from her when the others turned. There was a collective chorus of "Alex?" Ranging from Dickens and Sneed's simple confusion to Rose and the Doctor's concern mixed with almost relief.

"The Bridge is open. We descend" With that last comment, the image of the Gelth changed suddenly, becoming red and demonic. "The Gelth will come through in force"

"You said you were few in number!" Dickens protested.

"A few billion" The figure corrected. "And all of us in need of corpses" The bodies rose up around them and Alex watched in horror. She could have done something. She could have done anything other than run when she did. Sneed was shouting for Gwyneth to stop but she didn't seem to hear, and then Rose was yelling for him to get back.

"Alex!" The Doctor cried frantically. Alex's eyes widened as she noticed him looking just over her shoulder. She ducked out of the approaching grip of the Gelth and ran to his side, her anger at him forgotten. Sneed was dead. One more Gelth joined the approaching 'zombies'.

"I think it's gone a bit wrong" The Doctor commented.

"Really?" Alex scoffed sacastically. Okay maybe her anger wasn't completely forgotten.

"I have joined the legions of the Gelth. Come. March with us" Sneed's body spoke. Alex looked on with horror as the corpses approached them. The Doctor's hands were on her arms then, pulling her back with him as the three backed away.

"We need bodies" The Gelth form spoke. "All of you. Dead. The human race. Dead"

"Not if I have anything to do with it" Alex fumed, her voice a whisper.

"Gwyneth stop them!" The Doctor called to her. "Send them back! Now!"

"Three more bodies. Make them vessels for the Gelth"

"I can't! I'm sorry!" Dickens stammered from the other side of the room. Alex looked over to see him near the door and backing towards it. "It's too much for me. I'm so-" he was cut off as one of the Gelth swiped for him and he jumped back, running from the room. Alex suddenly felt The Doctor grab her shoulders again, barely being aware his hands had left in the first place, and pull her back. Alex stumbled slightly but stepped back into the small dungeon space between Rose and The Doctor, who closed the door and locked them in. The three pressed their backs to the wall, trying to stay away from the Gelth's hands.

"Give yourselves to glory. Sacrifice your lives for the Gelth" The figure went on.

"I trusted you. I pitied you!" The Doctor shouted at it, enraged. Alex didn't know for sure if he was mad at the Gelth for tricking him or mad at himself for trusting them.

"We don't want your pity! We want this world and all it's flesh"

Alex came to a decision.

"Not while I'm alive" She spoke in synch with The Doctor as she took his hand. He looked down at their hands and then up at her as she watched him, determination shining in his eyes. It was never his fault and never would be, everything he did was for everyone else. So Alex would just have to do what had to be done for him.

"Then live no more"

"But I can't die" Rose spoke after a moment, turning to the two beside her. "Tell me I can't! I haven't even been born yet, it's impossible for me to die! Isn't it?!" She looked between the two, her panic rising with the sadness on their faces.

"I'm sorry" They both said.

"But it's 1869, how can I die now?" Rose asked, looking between the two.

"Timey wimey stuff" Alex muttered under her breath.

"Time isn't a straight line, it can twist into any shape. You can be born in the 20th century and die in the 19th and it's all my fault. I brought you here"

"It's not your fault. I wanted to come" Rose told him.

"I knew" Alex added softly. The three didn't speak for a minute.

"What about me?" The Doctor said then. "I saw the fall of Troy! World war five! I pushed boxes at the Boston Tea Party, and now I'm going to die in a dungeon! In Cardiff!" He said the last part with a degree of horror and almost disgust. Alex couldn't help but laugh slightly.

"I've spent five years of my life wondering what you have against Cardiff" She shook her head.

"It's not just dying. We'll become one of them" Rose corrected them. The three looked back to the corpses who still rattled the bars, trying to reach them.

"We'll go down fighting yeah?" Rose suggested, looking between the two.

"Yeah" Alex and The Doctor both nodded.

"Together?"

"Yeah!" The two repeated. Rose took Alex's hand and Alex gave The Doctor's hand a squeeze.

"I'm so glad I met you two" The Doctor said then, looking at the girls. They both looked at him surprised. Rose was surprised at the comment in itself, while Alex was surprised to be included.

"Me too" Rose smiled, looking between the two beside her. Alex turned to her, still surprised.

"Me too" She found herself repeating, looking between the two. "Oh, I am so goddamn glad I met you two" She smiled then.

Three friends stood behind a dungeon door, trying to stay back from the corpse's hands that reached for them, and smiled.

And then Charles Dickens rushed into the room.

Alex had to hold back laughter at the ridiculousness of what was now her life.

"Doctor! Turn off the flame, turn up the gas! Now fill the room, all of it, now!" He called to them. Alex's eyes widened slightly and she turned to the flame light behind her, doing just that.

"What're you doing?" The Doctor asked him, glancing at Alex.

"Turn it all on! Gas the place!" He repeated, turning flames on and gas on even as he spoke.

"Brilliant! Gas!" The Doctor realised.

"What, so we choke to death instead?" Rose frowned, not getting it.

"Am I correct Doctor?" Dickens asked. "These creatures are gaseous"

"So they are" Alex agreed.

"Fill the room with gas, it'll draw them out of the host. Suck them into the air like poison from a wound" The Doctor explained, sounding exited now. The corpses all seemed to come to a decision and turned together to approach Dickens.

"I hope… oh lord, I hope that this theory will be validated soon" Dickens said, mostly to himself. Alex glanced around the room through the bars. All the flames were off and giving out gas. "If not immediately" Dickens added, the corpses now dangerously close to him. Alex turned, eyes wide until she spotted a gas pipe against the wall near The Doctor. Alex grabbed at it quickly.

"Plenty more!" She declared, pulling it from the wall. Her momentum made her stumble back and the Doctor caught her. They looked out quickly to see the blue forms of the Gelth being pulled from the bodies which fell to the ground. Alex began to realize it was getting harder to breathe.

"It's working!" Dickens pointed out, almost exited. The three rushed from the small dungeon and The Doctor stopped in front of Gwyneth, who still stood where she was below the arch.

"Gwyneth send them back! They lied, they're not angels" He told her urgently.

"Liars" She spoke in a calm tone.

"Look at me" He continued, trying to make her understand. "If your mother and father could look down and see this, they'd tell you the same. They'd give you the strength. Now send them back"

"Can't breathe" Rose gasped. Alex gave a nod, it was getting rather difficult for her too. The Doctor looked back at them, even still busy, he looked worried.

"Charles get them out" He ordered, making himself turn back to Gwyneth. Dickens moved to take each of the girl's arms but both simply shook him off.

"I'm not leaving her!" Rose insisted. Alex simply had her gaze locked on The Doctor.

"They're too strong" Gwyneth told them.

"Remember that world you saw? Rose's world?" The Doctor reminded her. Alex was gasping slightly as she tried to breathe. "All those people, none of it will exist unless you send them back through the rift"

"I can't send them back. But I can hold them" Alex's gaze snapped to her. _No…_ "Hold them in this place, hold them here. Get out" She pulled a pack of matches from her apron pocket. Rose rushed towards her.

"You can't!" She cried

"Leave this place!" Gwyneth demanded them. The Doctor grabbed Rose's shoulders, making her look at him.

"Rose, get out, go now, I won't leave her while she's still in danger, now go!" He ordered seriously. He watched Rose and Dickens rush out but Alex stayed firmly where she was. "Alex-"

"No"

"Alex, listen to me"

"I'm not leaving you!"

The two stood in silence a moment. Alex started to cough.

"You have to go" He told her, panic in his eyes.

"Then you'd better hurry" Was all she said. He hesitated a moment before turning to Gwyneth.

"Now, give that to me" He asked her. She didn't respond. Alex did her best to remain composed as he took the girl's pulse and his face fell.

"I'm sorry" He said softly, placing a kiss on her forehead. "Thank you" He turned, walking to Alex and stopping beside her when her gaze remained on Gwyneth.

"Thank you" She repeated, not knowing what else to say.

"Find yourself, Miss" Gwyneth told her. Alex didn't have time to wonder what she meant before The Doctor took her hand and began to run. Alex followed him out of the house, feeling his arm circle her shoulders when she stumbled. The two had just reached the doorway when the house exploded and Alex felt the heat on her back as they narrowly escaped the flame. Rose stared at them. Alex gave a cough and stumbled again as she went to walk forward, landing on her hands and knees. She was suddenly surrounded by the three, all trying to ask if she was okay. Alex shifted so she sat on the ground facing them with The Doctor's hand still on her back.

"I'm okay" She told them, coughing for another moment before she managed to fix her breathing. "Just need a moment"

"She didn't make it" Rose stated plainly, looking at The Doctor.

"I'm sorry. She closed the rift" He told her.

"At such a cost, the poor child" Dickens said softly. Rose was still staring at The Doctor.

"I did try Rose" He said softly.

"She was already dead" Alex continued for him. "She had been for at least five minutes" Rose stared at her.

"What do you mean?"

"I think she was dead from the minute she stood in that arch" The Doctor took over. Rose looked between the two, still confused.

"But… she can't have, she spoke to us. She helped us, she saved us. How could she have done that?"

"There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy, even for you, Doctor" Dickens spoke slowly and Alex could swear he glanced over at her.

"She saved the world" Rose spoke up. "A servant girl. No one will ever know" The three of them looked up at the burning house sadly.

"We'll know" Alex told her in a whisper, placing a hand on hers.

* * *

After saying goodbye to Dickens and getting changed Alex went for a wander in the library while Rose was getting ready to stop off home for a bit. Alex knew it was going to be a little longer than anticipated. She smiled to herself as she wandered the seemingly endless library, running her hands down the spines of the books she passed.

"I thought I'd find you in here"

Alex rolled her eyes as she turned.

"How on earth would you know that?" She scoffed.

"Two things" The Doctor spoke, leaning against a bookshelf. "One, this was one of the first rooms you ran off to find your first day in the TARDIS. Two, how could someone with so many books stacked up in her room simply ignore the library nearby?" He grinned smugly. "So, find anything you like?" Alex shrugged.

"Half of these I can't read" She told him, gesturing to the shelves.

"You mean all" He corrected. "That's because you're looking at the wrong shelf" He stood up straighter and walked past her, taking her hand as he went and led her to another part of the library. He stopped after a bit and pointed to the shelves. "Earth languages, mostly English" He told her. Alex looked over the books, feeling a smile form on her face.

"That's more like it" She said happily, looking over the shelves. "What about one I know, hey Sweetheart?" She asked, looking up to the ceiling. The Doctor frowned and went to say something before a book dropped off a shelf several feet away. Alex grinned at him as she went to retrieve it. Her grin turned to a soft smile when she saw the cover. "Nice job" She praised the TARDIS, who gave a soft hum in reply. She showed the cover to The Doctor.

"I read this several times when I was twelve-ish and borrowed it from the town library at least five times. Of course I read it again every now and then as I got older" Alex explained to him. She turned it back to her then, running her fingers lightly over the cover. "Haven't read it in a while though" Neither spoke for a minute, Alex flicking through a couple random pages in her book before tucking it under her arm and looking over the shelves, mouthing the titles to herself and smiling at a couple. The Doctor pretended to look over the shelves too but mostly was watching her carefully.

"What do you think Gwyneth had meant?" She asked suddenly. The Doctor blinked, surprised, but Alex didn't look away from the shelves. "'Find yourself', that's what she told me. I know she was some kind of psychic, what do you think she meant?" She looked at him now.

"I don't know" He answered honestly. Alex nodded.

"Well what kind of TV show would give away all the plot in one episode?" She grinned at him. The Doctor gave her a kind of bemused smile in return.

"Not a very good one" He nodded. Alex laughed.

"Not a very good one" She agreed.

"I'm sorry" The Doctor said after a minute. "I should have listened to you" Alex shook her head.

"It's not your fault. I'd known you wouldn't listen to Rose. I knew you wouldn't listen to me. I just wasn't gonna let it stop me trying" She explained. The Doctor smiled softly at her before seeming to remember something.

"I've got something for you" He said, digging a hand through is pockets. After a moment he pull out an unmoving metal spider. Alex's eyes widened.

"You brought him with us?" She asked, though frowning slightly. "But he's broken, he wouldn't work anymore"

"Not broken" The Doctor shook his head, turning the spider over and pulling out his sonic screwdriver. "No, I simply deactivated him before he could do what he was told. Now that his old master is gone, I should be able to…" There was a small mechanical chirrup and The Doctor turned off his sonic with a triumphant smile.

"Catch" he grinned, tossing it to her. Alex caught her pet and turned him around in her hands until he faced her. She frowned at him.

"Amity?" She said hesitantly, unsure if he'd remember her. His light blinked at her and he moved suddenly, making a quick round of her arms and over her shoulders back to her hands, watching her excitedly. Alex grinned at him. "Amity I never thought I'd see you again!" She told the spider, grinning at it as she felt tears come to her eyes. Amity moved faster than she could comprehend and then was sitting on her shoulder with a tissue from her pocket. Alex laughed as her pet wiped her tears away with a metal arm. He moved again and was suddenly in her hands with the tissue gone.

Alex looked up at The Doctor, who had been watching her with a grin of his own, before rushing forward and practically jumping on him with a hug.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She cried, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. Partially because she could no longer reach the ground. The Doctor laughed, returning the hug.

"Anything for you Alex" He replied softly. They finally pulled away and Alex turned back to the shelves, still grinning as she looked over the books. There was a nice moment of comfortable silence between the two. Both looked over the shelves, feigning interest while actually watching each other. It was nice.

"Doctor? Alex?"

Was.

"Guys?" Rose called through the halls.

"We'd better go find her before she gets lost trying to look for us" Alex told The Doctor with a smile. He nodded in agreement.

"Good idea. You can go put them away, I'll meet you by the console" He told her, gesturing to her book and Amity. Alex nodded and watched him leave for a moment before sighing.

"Sweetheart, what am I supposed to do?" She asked softly. The TARDIS gave a comforting hum but it didn't help much. Being in love was one thing, knowing the last time you're ever going to see him is something completely different. He had gone through so much already, he didn't deserve to have her go like that. She didn't want to get attached to him or have him attached to her because she knew she couldn't stay with him forever.

With a sigh Alex started off to her room and dropped the book on her bed. She glanced at Amity, retrieving the curved metal that used to be a sphere from her pocket. It instantly returned to a semi-sphere and she offered it to Amity, who climbed right inside. His light flicked off just as the sphere closed and Alex smiled at the metal ball in her hand.

"Hibernation" She muttered to herself, throwing it up and catching it before setting it on her bed beside the book. She left then and had just been outside the console room when the TARDIS started to shake around her. She grinned, as she stumbled her way into the room.


	9. A Bit Too Domestic

She had just been outside the console room when the TARDIS started to shake around her. She grinned, as she stumbled her way into the room.

"We're already off I see" Alex laughed, having to jump forward to grab hold of the console without falling over. The Doctor simply laughed, watching her attempt to move around the room. She shot him a light hearted glare and flicked a switch or two to assist before they landed. Rose headed right for the door and The Doctor followed leaving Alex to trail behind. They stopped just outside the TARDIS and Alex and The Doctor leaned back against the doors in the same arms crossed pose.

"How long have I been gone?" Rose asked, looking back at the pair.

"About twelve hours" The Doctor answered.

"Ooh, right, I won't be long, I'm just gonna see my mum" She told them, beginning to walk off.

"What're you gonna tell her?" Alex called before she could leave.

"I don't know. I've been to the year five billion and only been gone, what, twelve hours?"

Alex and The Doctor shared an amused snort, glancing at each other and back at Rose, who was also grinning.

"Nah, I'll just tell her I spent the night at Shareen's. See you later" She began to leave before turning again. "Oh, don't you disappear" She warned the two. The Doctor gave her a look and Alex made a 'cross my heart' gesture which she seemed to deem safe enough to head off. The two settled against the TARDIS to wait.

"Did you double check the co-ordinates?" Alex asked casually. The Doctor shot her a look between disbelief and annoyance.

"I don't need to"

"You're a horrible driver" She continued in her casual tone, watching the building in front of them instead of the annoyed Time Lord beside her.

"I am not"

Alex rolled her eyes and made a gesture to a poster she knew was behind them He eyed her with a raised eyebrow and she simply gestured again until he walked over to look. He turned back suddenly with wide eyes.

"Horrible driver" She repeated, taking off at a run to Rose's flat with The Doctor close behind. She paused at the door to let him run in first.

"It's not twelve hours. It's er… twelve months. You've been gone a whole year" He told Rose, who was being hugged tightly by her mother. He laughed awkwardly and Alex gave a small apologetic shrug when the two women looked to her.

"Sorry" The two said at once. Rose simply stared at them as Jackie went back to hugging her.

* * *

Alex stood uncomfortably beside The Doctor as Jackie paced between Rose on one armchair and a police officer on the other.

"Rose Tyler was reported missing one year ago, and Alexandria Collins was reported missing a month later" The police officer informed them. Alex frowned at him.

"That's not right" She shook her head. He looked to her.

"What is not right?" he asked simply.

"I left the same day as Rose, haven't been back since. Why was I reported the next month?" She asked, glancing at the Doctor and back at the officer. The man looked down at the files in his hands and flipped through a couple pages before finding what he was looking for.

"You were reported missing by your landlord who became concerned when he didn't get your rent. He went to check up on you and found no one was home. The report was filed the next day when you still hadn't returned" He explained. Alex turned from confused to outraged in a matter of seconds.

"My _landlord_?! You are kidding right?" She asked, irritated. The Doctor took a slight step back when he noticed her fuming, knowing it wasn't best to be the closest person when Alex got angry.

"No Miss"

"Oh that's great" Alex scoffed. "Absolutely fan-freaking-tastic. I disappear and no one notices for a month" She turned to the Doctor. "No one noticed for a month" She repeated. He nodded.

"I gathered"

"What about the girls at the café?" Alex turned back. "No one noticed I wasn't in? No one cared enough to think 'oh, Alex hasn't come in all this month'. No one?!" The Doctor stepped forward then, seeing this was getting out of hand.

"Alex, I think you should calm down" He spoke softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. She turned to him again but didn't shake him off purposely.

"A month" She whispered. He nodded.

"I know"

Alex nodded too, her anger fading into a quiet disbelief as she moved to sit on the armrest of the chair Rose was sitting in. She reached up a hand to give Alex a small pat on the shoulder, a small and slightly unsure attempt of comfort as she knew as well as the Doctor it was best to stay out of angry Alex's way. The officer attempted to work things out properly but of course Jackie wasn't having it. It didn't take long until she had begun yelling as she continued back and forth.

"The hours I've sat here. Days and weeks and months all on my own. I thought you were dead, and where were you? Travelling. What the hell does that mean? Travelling? That's no sort of answer" She raved before turning to the police officer.

"You ask her. She won't tell me! That's all she says. Travelling"

"That's what I was doing" Rose spoke up.

"When your passport's still in the drawer? It's just one lie after another"

"I meant to phone, I really did. I just… forgot" Rose excused weakly. Alex cringed. That wouldn't work at all.

"What for a year? You forgot for a year? And I am left sitting here? I just don't believe you, why won't you tell me where you've been?"

"Actually it's my fault. I sort of, er, employed Rose as my companion" The Doctor jumped in, hoping to help Rose out a little.

"Oh, no, don't say it like that" Alex muttered to herself but The Doctor gave her a glance, frowning slightly.

"When you say 'companion', and I'm assuming this applies for Alex too? Is this a sexual relationship?" The police officer asked, looking between the three and seeming to notice how close the Doctor stood to Alex.

"No!" They all cried at once, shaking their heads.

"Then what is it?" Jackie asked, approaching The Doctor dangerously. "Because you, you waltz in here all charms and smiles. The next thing I know she vanishes off the face of the earth! How old are you then? 40? 45? What, you find her on the internet? Did you go online and pretend you're a doctor?"

"I _am_ a doctor!"

"Prove it! Stitch this mate" With that, Jackie slapped him across the face. Hard. Alex didn't realised she had moved until The Doctor held his arm out in front of her and Jackie looked over at her. Alex simply stared at her, refusing to give away any emotion. She noticed Rose looking up at the two, glancing between them almost worriedly. The Doctor's arm held firmly between them even as he was regaining his balance.

"I'm gonna get some air" Alex said so quietly no one would have heard if the room wasn't as silent as it was. She walked around The Doctor, past Jackie and right out the door and no one spoke as she opened the door and left, resisting the urge to slam it behind her. She shoved her hands in her jacket pockets as she walked, her mind skimming over all the same thoughts it had been since she got here. Some were added, some were removed, but most of them were the same.

Why am I here? I can't love him. I'm going to die. I've read it and now it has to happen. What do I do? Should I tell him? Should I just leave now? Where would I go? What do I do? Why would Eleven be showing up? Who can I save without a massive backfire happening? What do I do? What has to happen? What's next? What do I do? _What do I do?_

Alex sighed as she began up the stairs to the roof, not really caring where she was going. She looked out the windows as she climbed, trying to drown out the thoughts in her head. By the time she reached the top she was humming to herself. She walked over to the concrete barrier by the edge and sighed as she leaned heavily on it, looking over the edge. It wasn't long until she was singing the words to 'Safe And Sound', soft but loud, to herself alone on the roof.

Or so she thought.

The Doctor wandered up onto the roof to look for her shortly after and stopped himself from calling out to her when he heard her singing. With a slight frown, he leaned against the brick wall for the platform in the middle, listening to her sing a song he'd never heard before.

" _Don't you dare look out your window, darling everything's on fire. The war outside our door keeps raging on. Hold on, to this, lullaby. Even when the music's gone. "_

The Doctor frowned as he heard Alex's voice crack on the last line. He could hear she was about to cry, but still didn't want to interrupt. She took a breath and continued, her voice stronger.

" _Just close your eyes, the sun is going down. You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now. Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound._

 _Just close your eyes, you'll be alright, come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound"_

Alex finished her song with a shuddering sigh, her head dropping forward as her shoulders slumped and she leaned all her weight onto the concrete barrier. The Doctor frowned worriedly.

"I didn't know you could sing" He found himself saying. Alex jumped up and turned so fast her back hit the concrete and she let out a soft hiss of pain. "You okay?" He frowned. Alex nodded quickly, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.

"How… How long have you been standing there?" She asked in a small voice. This only made him more worried. Alex was the type of person who either didn't talk for hours or days, too absorbed in whatever she might be doing, or she'd be talking loudly and endlessly. If she spoke quietly as she was now, he found it a reason to worry.

"Long enough" Was all he said. Silence stretched between them but The Doctor didn't dare break it, somehow knowing she'd explain in her own time.

"I used to sing it to my little brother" Alex said eventually, her voice stronger than it was before, but still far from her usual cheeriness.

"If he couldn't sleep, or he had a nightmare, I'd sit in his bed, or he'd lay in mine, and I'd sing to him. One day I played the original song for him" She smiled at this bit. "And you could see him recognise it, and he looked up at me with this grin, I just…" She trailed off, smiling sadly as she thought of it. "And he always came to me. When he first got his own room, any time he was scared to sleep alone, he'd run to my room and crawl in my bed. I hadn't thought anyone would miss me when I moved to London" She paused a moment and The Doctor realised there was more to the story than in this universe. Alex looked down, wrapping her arms around herself as she sniffed slightly.

The Doctor held his arms out to her and she moved slowly, coming to stand in front of him, her arms around his neck and holding tight to the back of his jacket and her head in his shoulder as he held her tightly. It seemed too soon when she pulled away, wiping her eyes and sniffing slightly as she composed herself.

"Maybe if I hadn't left" Alex sighed as she moved to sit up on the wall beside him. "Maybe if I was still with them and not in another country…" She hesitated. "Maybe I wouldn't be _here_ " The Doctor thought about this for a moment before he spoke, trying to choose his words carefully so she got the right meaning.

"I'm glad you did"

Alex looked at him, blinking slightly in surprise.

"I think I might be too" She said softly. The Doctor noticed her quietness but he also noticed that in this moment, standing so close to her, it didn't worry him like before.

Alex's heart raced as she watched The Doctor. She realised then how close she was to him, sitting directly beside him, the wall making her seem taller. He looked up at her and she found herself lost in those eyes she had come to love so quickly. She almost thought she couldn't breathe as he seemed to lock her in place. Although his eyes never left hers he almost looked as if he stood a little straighter, bringing them closer to the same height.

The door to the roof opened loudly and the two jumped apart, trying to look casual as they stared out at the rest of the town. Rose walked over, greeting the two and seeming tired as she sat herself on The Doctor's other side, not noticing how the two avoided looking at each other.

They all remained in their own thoughts, two sharing the same.

"I can't tell her" Rose sighed, breaking the silence. No one seemed to mind. "I can't even _begin…_ She's never gonna forgive me"

"And I missed a year?" She turned to The Doctor then. "Was it good?"

"Middling" He shrugged.

"You're so useless" Rose shook her head.

"Well if it's this much trouble are you gonna stay here now?" The Doctor asked, watching both girls closely now.

"I dunno" Rose shrugged. "I can't do that to her again though"

"Well she's not coming with us" The Doctor stated firmly. Alex couldn't help but snort, a smile making its way onto her face and Rose started laughing alongside her.

"No chance" Rose agreed.

"Never ever" Alex added, finding she was still smiling.

"I don't do families" The Doctor added, still in a huff. Alex laughed, thinking about Martha and Donna's mother for a moment, frowning when she realised Donna had done more slapping than her mother had.

"She slapped you!" Rose pointed out, still laughing.

"900 years of time and space and I've never been slapped by someone's mother" The Doctor just about sulked.

"Your face" Rose laughed and Alex found herself joining in at the offended expression the Doctor wore.

"It hurt!"

"You're so gay!"

The Doctor didn't respond, rubbing his cheek slightly as he glanced at Alex who was still laughing. The girls calmed down from their laughter and no one spoke for a minute.

"When you say 900 years…" Rose began, trailing off with a frown.

"That's my age" The Doctor told her.

"You're 900 years old?" Rose asked skeptically.

"Well that's incredibly subjective. Technically he's 900 Earth rotations of the sun old" Alex shrugged. Rose blinked at her.

"What?" She asked blankly. Alex laughed.

"Nevermind"

"My mum was right. That is one hell of an age gap" Rose commented, making Alex laugh again. She jumped off the wall then, pacing towards the edge of the roof. "Every conversation with you just goes mental. There's no one else I can talk to. I've seen all that stuff up there, the size of it, and I can't say a word. Aliens and spaceships and things, I'm the only person on the planet who knows it exists" Alex's eyes widened at the line and she reacted quickly.

"Incoming" She warned quickly, ducking down and taking The Doctor with her as a loud horn blared and a smoking spaceship flew right over their heads. She stood slowly as she watched the ship crash into Big Ben and splash into the Thames.

"Oh, that's just not fair" Rose said, annoyed. The Doctor and Alex both laughed happily, grabbing hold of Rose and rushing off to get closer. They all ran together and didn't slow until they got to a traffic block down the street.

"It's blocked off" The Doctor pointed out.

"Really?" Alex huffed sarcastically.

"No reason to be grumpy"

"Plenty of reasons to be grumpy" She corrected.

"We're miles from the centre" Rose told the two, attracting their attention back to her. "The scene must be grid-locked, the whole of London must be closing down"

"Can't blame them. Big Ben, really?" Alex muttered, knowing full well The Doctor could hear what she was saying.

"I know. I can't believe I'm here to see this! This is fantastic!" The Doctor grinned.

"Did you two know this was going to happen?" Rose asked, looking between them.

"Nope"

"Yes"

"Did you recognise the ship?"

"Nope"

"Not really"

"Do you know why it crashed?"

"Nope"

"Yes"

"And I suppose you're not gonna tell me anything" The last one directed at Alex. The Doctor didn't even seem interested in that question, already knowing the answer.

"Nope"

Last question answered, Alex grinned along with The Doctor as Rose looked between the two in disbelief.

"Oh, I'm so glad I've got you two"

"I bet you are" Alex nodded, grin never faltering.

"This is what I travel for Rose! To see history happening right in front of us!"

"Well let's go and see it!" Rose declared then, excitement picking up again. "Never mind the traffic, we've got the TARDIS!"

"Ooh, best not" Alex shook her head, making Rose confused.

"She's right, they've already got one spaceship in the centre of London, don't want to shove another one on top" The Doctor agreed.

"Yeah, but yours looks like a big blue box, no one's going to notice" Rose shrugged. Alex scoffed.

"Not these days"

"You'll be surprised, in an emergency like this" The Doctor elaborated. "There'll be all kinds of people watching, trust me. The TARDIS stays where it is" Rose huffed, fixing her gaze somewhere among the traffic.

"So history's happening and we're stuck here" She summed up.

"Yes, we are" The other two spoke in unison.

"You could always do what everybody else does" Rose suggested. She wasn't even surprised for some reason when both looked at her with the same lost expression. "We could watch it on TV" The two blinked, looking blankly out into the traffic again before glancing at each other. It was obvious to them all. Neither had thought of this.

* * *

Alex had decided to go down to her old flat and collect her boxes while the Doctor settled himself in at Rose's flat, watching the news. It was pretty easy. All she had to do was take a cab down to the storage company and they had let her borrow one of the moving vans once she explained. She loaded the boxes from storage to the van, to the TARDIS console room and then drove the van back. When she took a cab back to the Powell estate she quickly moved the boxes to her room before locking the TARDIS back up and heading back upstairs.

Alex was just walking in as Jackie was walking out of her room right by the door.

"Oh, Jackie" She called, doing a little jump to catch up as she stopped at the end of the hall. "Look, I'm really sorry about earlier. I know this past year must have been horrible for you and I'm sorry for that too" Alex began slowly, but started to speed up slightly as she babbled on. Jackie simply stood there with her arms crossed, listening but not betraying any emotion. "I know you have every right to be mad at me and the Doctor, but I wanted you to know we certainly didn't intend-"

"What about you?" Jackie asked softly, cutting her off. Alex blinked but didn't look too upset about the interruption.

"What about me?" She frowned.

"You've been missing too. What about your parents, friends? Someone's got to be worried about you out there. Have you seen them?" She elaborated, waiting for an answer. Alex hesitated.

"I've got no family. Not anymore" She told her quietly. Jackie's face changed and she suddenly looked worried and almost sad for the girl she just met. "No friends either" Alex shrugged. "Well, I mean, Rose is kind of my friend now" She smiled hesitantly. "And the Doctor's been looking out for me since we met. He was there when I lost them, and he asked if I wanted to go with him. I couldn't say no. I've nothing else"

Alex was startled when Jackie suddenly pulled her in for a hug, but returned it anyway. It was another moment before she pulled back, hands on her shoulders, and looked closer at the girl who was now her daughter's friend. She watched as Jackie simply looked at her before releasing her and tilting her head in the direction of the living room.

"You'd better get back to him. Won't stop looking out the window for you to get back" She told the younger girl. Alex nodded and moved past, glancing at her one last time before heading over towards the Doctor. She ignored the stares of the other people scattered about the room as they watched her walk over to the TV. She tried to ignore their blatant whispering but still picked up little bits like 'that's her' 'with that doctor' 'Rose's friend apparently'.

After passing the whispering group Alex found herself smiling at the sight of the Doctor, who was sitting in the chair closest to the TV with a child on his lap, trying to wrestle the remote control away without actually hurting him. The boy protested, trying to keep his grip on his new toy when it slipped out of his hands. Alex stopped behind his chair, standing with her arms crossed as she grinned at the sight. The boy seemed to have gotten bored on his lap now as his toy was gone and slipped off, stopping in front of the TV.

Alex had to stifle a laugh as The Doctor motioned violently to the side, trying frustratedly to get the boy to move.

"Go on" he muttered, gesturing until the child decided to move and toddled off in Alex's direction.

"Hello" Alex grinned, kneeling down as he stopped in front of her. "Oh, aren't you cute" The boy smiled at her around his tiny fist, gurgling nonsense. Alex laughed. "Alright" She nodded, as if she understood. "Best leave the grumpy man alone, hmm? He's having a bit of trouble right now. You go back to your Mommy" She ruffled the boy's hair softly, smiling at his responding giggle, before standing and moving to the back of the Doctor's chair.

Alex leaned over the back of the chair, whispering in the Doctor's ear. "900 year old time lord, the Oncoming Storm, defeated by a two year old" She pulled back, grinning as he turned his head to her with a scowl before returning his attention to the TV. Alex moved to sit on the armrest beside him and held out the key to him.

"Here" She said, gaining his attention. He glanced over at her.

"Keep it" He said simply, returning his attention to the news. Alex blinked, hesitating as she looked down at the key. She reached down and placed it into his hand.

"Give it to Rose, I'll stick with you" She explained when he frowned at her. He gave a small nod and returned the key to his pocket for now.

"Anything good yet?" Alex asked, leaning down to whisper as if that would interrupt him less. He smiled slightly at her childish antics.

"They've found a body"

"Ooh, alien?"

"Allegedly"

"But?"

"But?" He repeated her question back at her, turning his head to look at her leaning down so far she was practically lying on the armrest. She smirked.

"Nice try, time dork, but I'm not telling you anything" She said with a finality. He raised an eyebrow at the nickname and she simply continued to smirk up at him, now literally lying on her back across the armrest. The Doctor shook his head, rolling his eyes before returning them to the TV. Alex stared up at the ceiling as she listened to the news from her position. Nothing much seemed very interesting until the reporter mentioned the prime minister being missing. Alex made sure she didn't change her outward appearance as she remembered exactly where he was. She then snorted in amusement as the reporter introduced a chairman before stating he wasn't very important. The Doctor glanced down at her, smiling slightly himself.

It wasn't long until the Doctor began glancing around every moment or so and Alex realised he was trying to make sure no one would notice him. She sat up, whispering in his ear as she moved passed him.

"I'll meet you out there" He nodded slightly, making no other response and Alex stood and managed to slip out of the flat unnoticed. She stopped just down the row of doors, leaning on the barrier as she waited with as much patience possible for her. The Doctor exited the flat himself a minute or so later and Alex stood up straighter, waiting for him a moment. The Door opened again behind him.

"And where do you two think you're going?" Rose's voice called out to them. Alex and the Doctor turned, watching her as she waited for their answer.

"Nowhere!" The Doctor answered first. "It's just a bit human in there for me. History just happened and they're talking about where you can buy dodgy top up cards for half price" Alex frowned.

"I didn't understand half of that sentence" She told him, looking up at him as he glanced down at her.

"I'll explain it later" He responded before turning back to Rose. "We're off on a wander, that's all" He tried to assure her. She raised an eyebrow, glancing at Alex.

"'Too human for you'" She quoted incredulously. Alex raised an eyebrow right back at her.

"People, talking people, talking people doing people things, talking people doing people things who expect you to do people things in return. Rose, I'm beginning to doubt how much you learn about a person in fourty-eight hours" She rambled. Rose didn't seem to understand most of what she had said but that wasn't at the top of her list right now.

"Right, there's a spaceship on the Thames and you two're just 'wandering'"

"Nothing to do with me" The Doctor told her simply. "It's not an invasion. That was a genuine crash landing. Angle of decent, color of smoke, everything! It's perfect"

"So…" Rose looked between the two.

"So maybe this is it! First contact! The day mankind officially comes into contact with an alien race. I'm not interfering because you've _got_ to handle this on your own. That's when the human race finally grows up. Just this morning you were all tiny and small and made of clay. Now you can expand!" The Doctor finished his little speech with a laugh, looking between the girls. Rose smiled and Alex giggled slightly in return.

"You don't need me" He continued, looking to Rose. "Go and celebrate history. Spend some time with your Mum" He turned to leave again and Alex followed by his side.

"Promise you won't disappear?" Rose called. The Doctor stopped and turned before seeming to realise something, looking over at Alex. She gave a small nod and he felt around his jacket pockets, walking back towards Rose.

"Tell you what, TARDIS key" He told her, handing her the key Alex had used to put her things away. "About time you had one. See you later!" Having given her the key he turned and walked off, Alex following close behind.

Alex followed him all the way down and admired the painted banners of a party at one of the nearby flats.

"Hey gorgeous, come back and join the party!" A young woman shouted down, seeing the Doctor. Alex rolled her eyes, trying to ignore her.

"Hey babe! Come up and I'll get you a drink!" A guy shouted down after. Alex glanced up, blinking as she felt her cheeks heat up. The man gave her a handsome smirk and winked at her, making her blush even more. She was glad the darkness would be keeping anyone from noticing but it hardly helped. She had frozen in place, shocked as she stared up and the man who was clearly checking her out, even from that distance. An arm wrapped around her shoulders and Alex was thankful when the Doctor led her the last few steps to the TARDIS.

Neither noticed as Mickey spotted them from one of the balconies and did a double take. He watched the two in disbelief, recognising them as he saw the Doctor lead a suddenly shy looking Alex back into the TARDIS.

"Thank you" Alex muttered embarrassedly as the Doctor removed his arm from her just inside the door. He called out a 'No worries' as he made his way up to the console, grinning suddenly. Alex found herself grinning too as she thought of what they were going to do and approached the console to stand by his side. He pressed a few buttons and Alex pressed one or two she had known before turning a handle on the side.

Alex grinned up at the rotor, still yet to get over the sound of the TARDIS for real. The console started smoking and Alex scowled at it. The Doctor did the same before picking up a hammer and hitting a part of the console. Alex looked at him with wide eyes as he kissed the hammer for working perfectly. He grinned at her as she shook her head.

"No wonder she has great big tantrums" Alex muttered, looking over the console, making the Doctor frown at her.

"What's that?" He asked after a minute. Alex glanced across the room where he was looking to see one of her boxes was left under the flight seat.

"Oh, must've forgotten one" She waved it off. The Doctor glanced at her before walking over and picking it up. He placed it on the seat and opened it up, looking through some things. Alex frowned at him as he had a look through.

"Seriously?" She asked, crossing her arms as she watched him look through her things.

"Well you haven't tried to stop me, you mustn't mind too much" he reasoned. Alex rolled her eyes.

"I thought we were going to have a look at the crash"

"We're in the vortex and I left the same time on the control, as soon as I land where I want to it'll land when I want to" He replied, picking up an old book and flipping through the pages. He hummed happily as he placed it down beside the box, looking a bit deeper. Alex rolled her eyes but found herself smiling somehow as she sat down beside the box, picking up her book. She glanced inside. It was mostly a bunch of odd bits and ends from her bedside table and on top of her dresser.

The Doctor frowned as he pulled at something from the bottom, his hand coming back with an old pocket watch covered in intricate markings. He glanced at Alex.

"What is this?" He asked, forging curiosity. Alex's eyes widened as she realised what he must be thinking.

"Oh, nothing" She told him quickly, taking it from him. "Like I said, TV show. It's just a replica I bought when I was a teenager" She explained, turning the bronze watch over in her hands. She smiled to herself as she trailed a finger along the gallifreyan engraved on the front. "I mean, you would not believe the stuff I had sitting around my room. I had five sonic screwdrivers, a sonic blaster, posters, figurines. Everything a fangirl needs" She smiled, handing the watch back to him.

"I'm sorry, it's a prop" Alex summarized. He nodded, looking at the watch for a minute before placing it back in the box. "So. Crash landing. Alien body. Let's have a look" She suggested, grinning at him. He nodded and Alex moved back over to the console as the Doctor placed the book back inside the box. She didn't see however, when he picked the watch back up and slipped it in his pocket.

* * *

 **Hey guys, I hope you've been liking the story so far but I have a few quick questions of you if you don't mind?**

 **1 Is Alex believable as a character?**

 **2 Do you prefer my longer chapters or should I make them a tad shorter?**

 **That's all of them for now. Like I said, I hope you're still enjoying this story and if you have any questions or confusion about it, leave a review or message me. Thanks for reading too!**


	10. A Space Pig and Downing Street

Alex stepped out first, looking around. "Nice job. Tight fit" She commented. The Doctor walked out behind her and hummed in quiet agreement as he took out his sonic screwdriver. He turned it on but turned it immediately back off when it buzzed loudly, shushing it. Alex raised an eyebrow, leaning against the TARDIS doors.

"It's sonic Doctor, there's no silent mode" She commented, smirking at him when he rolled his eyes. He continued on the door despite the noise and it clicked open after a minute. Alex pushed herself off the TARDIS to follow him out. She had just squeezed herself in front of him, being impatient, when he opened the door.

Alex froze. They had just opened the door into what looked like some sort of break room filled with around twenty soldiers at the least. They all blinked in surprise, looking at each other for a moment before all pulling out their guns. Alex was suddenly standing in front of a grinning Doctor with twenty guns pointed at the two of them. She squeaked in surprise and moved again, slipping back around the other side of the Doctor to stand behind him, just barely peeking out. The Doctor glanced back at her for a moment but kept the grin.

There was a scream and the Doctor's grin fell and Alex moved forward again to look around him to the hall where the sound came from, forgetting the guns. She moved quickly, taking off at a run to find the source.

"Defence part Delta! Come on, move, move!" The Doctor ordered, following Alex with the soldiers following behind him, surprisingly, following the orders of the man they had just been pointing their guns at.

Alex ran on in front, paying close attention to the world around her as she ran. The last thing she needed today was to get shot because she startled some soldier. She stopped when she found the medical doctor that had seemed to be called in by UNIT, considering the doctors from the hospital had been evacuated and no one had been let back in.

"It's alive!" The woman shouted. She was cowering on the floor, shaking. Alex moved quickly over to her as the Doctor gave the soldiers another order.

"Hey, it's okay" Alex said, speaking clearly and reassuringly.

"My god, it's still alive" She continued. The Doctor knelt down next to Alex and she turned to see the soldiers still standing in the doorway, watching them.

"What are we having, a tea party? He gave you an order" She commanded. The soldiers moved quickly, leaving to do whatever it was they'd been told. Alex noticed the Doctor staring at her and grinned.

"I've always wanted to do that" She shrugged.

"I swear it was dead" The woman spoke up, looking at the Doctor.

"Coma, shock, hibernation, anything" The Doctor listed off, speaking quickly. "What does it look like?" There was a sudden sound from behind them and Alex and the Doctor turned quickly.

"It's still here" Alex spoke in a whisper, not taking her eyes off the dark spot where she heard the sound come from. They stood and the Doctor beckoned for a soldier in the doorway, who moved forward silently. Hearing another rattle the Doctor seemed to pinpoint the sound and got down on his knees to crawl closer around the desk. Alex watched silently by the soldier in the room. She glanced uncomfortably at the gun for a moment but focussed her attention on the Doctor as he seemed to see something.

"Hello!" He said cheerily. A small figure of what looked like a man ran suddenly around the other side of the desk. It looked like a pig used to walking on two legs. Although now it was running. Squealing in terror as it ran. The soldier lifted his gun and Alex was quick to reach over and push it back down as the Doctor called out for him to not shoot. The pig ran past the two of them and out into the corridor. Alex took off after the Doctor as he followed it. There was a small group of soldiers at the end of the hall. One raised his gun as the pig ran towards him.

"No!" Alex shouted. But she was too late. The soldier fired his gun and the pig fell with another squeal. The Doctor slowed slightly as he approached.

"What did you do that for?" The Doctor demanded, staring down the soldier. "It was scared!" The poor boy himself now looked scared, looking from the pig to the Doctor to Alex with wide eyes. The Doctor crouched down, his eyes softening as he looked down at the pig. "It was scared" he repeated softer. The soldier looked up at Alex, who looked from the Doctor to him. She looked at him different to the way the Doctor did. He was angry. Alex's eyes were softer, though not in any way welcoming. She seemed more disappointed.

Because that's what it was. Alex was simply disappointed with the humans. In her mind, they have so much potential for good, but they keep wasting it on wars and making guns and only helping themselves. The Doctor stroked the pig lightly as it died and Alex glanced down at him once more. She gave one last look to all the soldiers, who all seemed almost ashamed by her expression alone, and turned to leave. The Doctor glanced up as she left, taking note of the slow way she walked with her hands in her pockets and her eyes fixed on the floor.

Alex made her way back to the TARDIS before realising she had given the key back to the Doctor. She sighed and looked up at the box, thinking.

"Okay" She spoke. "Apparently you like me. So let's try something, you and I, hmm?" She lifted one hand as if showing the TARDIS what she was doing. "Dear Chuck, I hope this works" She muttered to herself then. There was a moment of silence as Alex took a deep breath and held it, looking between her hand and the doors. "Here goes nothing"

Alex clicked her fingers.

The doors swung open.

Alex's mouth fell open and her eyes widened, staring at the box in wonder.

"Oh, you never fail to amaze, Sweetheart" She grinned. With that she walked inside, trying to restrain herself from screaming and essentially fangirling. She stopped at the console, grin still in place as she turned. She lifted her hand slowly and clicked her fingers, laughing in glee when the doors swung shut. Alex looked up at the time rotor, still grinning uncontrollably.

"Have I ever told you how much I love you Sexy?"

The TARDIS gave pleased hum.

"Well don't go getting too cocky" Alex laughed. She looked around then with a sigh. Deciding after a moment she moved off to the side, climbing the ladder to the metal platform that surrounded part of the walls. She looked around, admiring the view from a higher angle before sitting down with her back against the wall to wait. She hummed to herself and even sang. It did take a while, but the TARDIS kept her occupied. She mostly just hummed in response to her talking and even hummed with her singing.

The Doctor walked in but didn't notice her at first. He was muttering things to himself. Most of it Alex couldn't catch but she heard something that sounded distinctly like 'Gotta find Alex'

"To find one must first attempt to look" Alex found herself saying. The Doctor looked up quickly, frowning.

"How did you get in?" He asked, obviously remembering the key was with Rose. Alex opted to keep the spoilers out of the picture for him and so she simply pointed to the door wearing a 'duh' expression. "It was locked" He pointed out, looking between her and the door, trying desperately to understand.

"I'm magic"

"Alex"

"She likes me"

The Doctor didn't sound upset exactly, simply annoyed that there was something he didn't know. He shook his head slightly, huffing almost childishly before returning to the console. He walked around, pressing buttons and pulling levers as he muttered to himself. Alex held on half-heartedly to the grating beneath her as the TARDIS shook slightly, but it wasn't too bad. It wasn't long until he pulled one last lever and the TARDIS landed with a 'thump'. He didn't stop working though, pressing buttons around the monitor as he looked down at it.

It wasn't even a moment later when the door opened, Rose walking in. The Doctor started chattering quickly.

"Alright, so I lied! I went and had a look, but the whole crash landing's a fake. I thought so, it's just so perfect. I mean, even Alex pointed out, hitting Big Ben, come on. So I thought, let's go and have a look-"

"My mum's here" Rose interrupted, making him look up. He groaned in annoyance as he noticed both Jackie and Mickey walk in.

"Oh that's just what I need. Don't you dare make this place domestic!" He declared. Alex moved a bit closer, sitting on the edge of the platform.

"You ruined my life Doctor" Mickey spoke, his voice unexpectedly even. The Doctor spun around to face him as he continued. "They thought she was dead. I was a murder suspect because of you" Alex cringed slightly at those words, knowing if Mickey knew she was there those words would directed at her too. The Doctor simply turned back to Rose.

"See what I mean? Domestic" With that said he turned back to the monitor, continuing his work. Alex was about to go down and join him when she noticed Mickey take a couple steps towards him, trying to get his attention back.

"I bet you don't even remember my name!" He accused.

"It's Ricky" The Doctor answered confidently, turning to him.

"It's Mickey"

"No, it's Ricky"

"I think I know my own name"

"You _think_ you know your own name? How stupid are you?"

Alex laughed, although it came out more like an evil kind of cackle. Everyone except the Doctor looked up at her in surprise, none even realising she was there. The Doctor looked up at her a moment after them, grinning at her as she was the only one who laughed at his little joke. Alex seemed to be the final straw for Jackie, who turned and ran out the doors.

"Mum don't!" Rose called out to her. Seeing she wasn't going to stop she turned to the Doctor. "Don't go anywhere!" She told him seriously, then moved on to Mickey. "Don't start a fight!" Then up at Alex. "Get down before you hurt yourself!" With each person being given an instruction, she turned and ran out after Jackie.

"Yes Mum" Alex frowned at the door. The Doctor laughed, making her look to him. The two watched each other as they spoke, acting like it was a normal day for them. Well, to be fair, to them, it is. Mickey looked between the two, a little bit bewildered, a little bit annoyed, but mostly watching the two interact curiously. And as every other time someone had done so, the two didn't notice at all.

"Come on, down you get" The Doctor urged, tilting his head back towards the console. Alex leaned back and crossed her arms rebelliously.

"And if I don't?"

"I'll pull you down" He shrugged.

"As if you would"

"Oh I would"

The Doctor started over and Alex's eyes widened as she tried to move back on the platform. He was too quick for her however and managed to grab one of her ankles before she could pull it back. He gave a tug and Alex squealed as he reached the other ankle and pulled again. He managed to steady her before she fell and set sat her back on the ground, grinning as she laughed. She pulled away after a moment, giving him a playful slap on the arm.

"You ever do that again and I will get my revenge" She warned, but it wasn't very menacing as she wasn't able to hide her smile.

"I'd like to see you try" The Doctor scoffed, crossing his arms, but his smile was visible too.

"The TARDIS likes me better" Alex reminded him with a smirk. The Doctor's eyes widened.

"Don't you-" He was cut off when the TARDIS doors opened again, making all three turn.

"That was a real spaceship?" She asked the Doctor.

"Yep!" He answered cheerfully, moving back to the monitor. Rose and Alex automatically joined him at either side, looking over his shoulders as always.

"So it's all a pack of lies, what is it then, are they invading?" Rose frowned. Mickey was trying his best to make himself taller to see over their shoulders at the screen.

"Funny was to invade, putting the world on red alert" He pointed out. The Doctor and Alex looked to each other, giving the other a small nod as they silently communicated the comment was a little impressive coming from him.

"Good point!" Alex declared.

"So what are they up to?" The Doctor followed up. He turned then, going back to work. Alex followed him around the console, sitting down beside him when he removed part of the grating and wormed his way in to work underneath. The two of them talked as he worked, mostly joking and bantering. Alex handed him things he needed every now and then too, trying to feel helpful. She was lying down on her stomach looking into the floor when Mickey walked over, peering down from the other side.

"So, what're you doing down there?" Mickey asked, looking between the two.

"Ricky" The Doctor started, his voice muffled by the sonic screwdriver he held between his teeth.

"Mickey"

Alex reached down and took the screwdriver from his mouth so he could talk clearer, he turned to Mickey.

"Ricky" he repeated clearer. "If I were to tell you what I was doing to the controls of my frankly magnificent time ship, would you even begin to understand?" Mickey paused for a moment.

"I suppose not…"

"Shut it then" The Doctor finished curtly. Mickey rolled his eyes, obviously frustrated as the Doctor got back to work. Alex looked up.

"Don't worry, remember he's not from earth, any nine year old Time Lord could confuse you, not just him. You're no dumber than the rest of us Ricky" She told him.

"Mickey!" He corrected again, annoyed.

"'S what I said" Was all Alex said, looking back down as the Doctor held out his hand for the sonic, and she passed it to him. Mickey walked off over to Rose and Alex heard him mutter something to Rose.

"They're winding you up" Rose told him, trying to make him feel better somehow as she glanced over at her friends. Alex looked back at her before turning back to the Doctor, tuning out their conversation to give tome some privacy.

"So could another human actually understand what you're doing right now?" She asked idly. He glanced at her but kept working as he answered.

"I suppose so, one who understood electrical workings and understood the TARDIS. It's rarely happened though. Why? Do you want to learn?" he glanced at her again at the last question. Alex shrugged.

"I guess, I'd like to know a little more. I'm not that smart though, I might not understand either"

"You're smarter than a lot of humans" He told her, pulling out a couple wires. He missed her look of disbelief as she shook her head slightly. "Okay, here. Hold these" He pulled a couple wires apart and handed her one from each side to hold together while he attached them with the sonic. Alex glanced over the wires he was criss-crossing together with a frown.

"What is that supposed to do?" She asked, not really seeing the point.

"We're rewiring the scanner to pick up the trace of the crashed spaceship" He told her. "Patching the radar through to the monitor and turning it back a couple hours to see which direction the spaceship came from" Alex nodded slowly, but eyed the console and the wires with suspicion, wondering if he actually knew what he was doing, or if the Tardis knew what he was trying to do.

There was a sudden, massive spark from the console just above their heads and Alex jumped away with a startled cry. The Doctor jumped up and ran around to the monitor, seeming unfazed.

"We did it!" he exclaimed, grinning at her. Alex stood and moved over beside him, also looking at the monitor.

"It worked?" She questioned, watching as the screen changed,

"What did you do?" Rose asked, looking between the two.

"Patched in the radar, looped it back twelve hours so we can watch the flight path of the spaceship" Alex told her.

"Here we go, hold on, come on!" He whacked the side of the screen before showing the two. "That's the spaceship on its way to earth, see? Except, hold on, see, the space ship did a sling shot round the earth before it landed" He explained.

"Ooh" Alex muttered, eyes fixed on the screen. She knew she remembered this episode but details were slipping. She hadn't seen season one in a while. But she knew while season one was going on she'd be likely to forget certain things in the later seasons. This would get real complicated, real fast.

When Alex was pulled from her thoughts the Doctor had started switching through channels on the monitor and had apparently finished explaining things to Rose. Mickey was standing behind them now, looking over their shoulders at the screen.

"How many channels do you get?" Mickey asked, watching the ones they passed curiously.

"All the basic packages" The Doctor answered absently.

"You get sports channels?"

"Yes, I get the football" The Doctor sighed.

"Football is weird" Alex frowned to herself. Mickey glanced at her.

"You're joking right?" He asked, confused. Alex looked back at him.

"Listen to the accent Ricky, I call it soccer" She told him.

"Hold on, I know that bloke" The Doctor said, keeping Mickey from responding to Alex. The reporter was explaining about them bringing in alien experts as some people walked inside Downing street from a black car.

"UNIT!" Alex realised. "Oh, they've brought in UNIT. Must be getting serious, United Nations Intelligence Task force"

"Good people" The Doctor nodded.

"How do you know them?" Rose asked, looking up at him.

"Cos' he's worked for them" Mickey spoke up, making the three turn to him. "Yeah, don't think I sat on my backside for twelve months, Doctor. I read up on you. You look deep enough on the internet, and in the history books and there's his name followed by a list of the dead" He looked directly at the Doctor then. "But there was someone-"

"That's nice, good boy Ricky" The Doctor interrupted. Alex frowned, glancing between the two. That wasn't a line as far as she could remember. That's something she'd remember.

"If you know them, why don't you go an help?" Rose asked, trying to keep the boys from fighting.

"They wouldn't recognise me, I've changed a lot since the old days" The Doctor explained. Alex snorted in amusement and the Doctor grinned down at her, in their own private joke. "Besides, the world's on a knife-edge. There's aliens out there and fake aliens. We want to keep this alien out of the mix. I'm going undercover and, eh, better keep the TARDIS out of sight"

"You know UNIT, they've probably already seen it" Alex told him with a shrug.

"All the same. Ricky! You've got a car, you can do some driving" He started heading towards the door and Alex followed him automatically.

"Where to?" Mickey frowned, following with Rose behind him. They stepped out of the TARDIS to find they were already surrounded by police cars and a helicopter was heard overhead. Alex looked up only to have a searchlight fall on them. There was suddenly noise everywhere. From the helicopter above them to Jackie who was being held back by some soldiers. Alex felt her heart rate quicken as she looked around at the soldiers with guns pointed at them, preventing them from escaping. Mickey had disappeared at some point and Rose was on her left with the Doctor on her right.

Alex moved closer to the Doctor, pressed to his side as she looked around, trying to calm herself. The Doctor's arm moved to wrap around her shoulder and he looked down at her.

"I see, so you were actually trying to tell me about this" He realised.

"Yeah, a little bit"

"And I didn't notice"

"No you didn't"

"Raise your hands above your head" A loudspeaker called. Alex found herself looking around to find the source of it. She never liked not knowing who was speaking. "You are under arrest"

Alex glanced up at the Doctor, who looked down at her as he did what they were told. Alex glanced at Rose and back out at the soldiers before slowly holding her hands up. She glanced over to see the Doctor grin up at the helicopter.

"Take me to your leader!" He called. Despite the situation, Alex even smiled.

They were quickly led to a car and the three clambered in. Rose first, then Alex and the Doctor came last, the door closing behind them. The car set off immediately.

"This is a bit posh" Rose commented, looking around. Alex nodded in agreement. "If I knew it was gonna be like this, being arrested, I'd have done it years ago"

"We're not being arrested" Alex shook her head. Rose looked to her and then to the Doctor as she finished, knowing when one didn't explain properly the other one finished.

"We're being escorted" The Doctor finished, not noticing Rose's small smile before her question.

"Where to?"

"Where'd you think? Downing street!" The Doctor laughed, making Rose and Alex laugh in return.

"You're kidding" Rose looked between the two, unbelieving.

"I'm not" The Doctor shook his head.

"10 Downing Street?"

"That's the one"

Rose laughed and Alex grinned at her.

"Oh my god, I'm going to 10 Downing Street?" She looked between the two, who both nodded in return, grinning at her.

"How come?" Rose asked, accepting the fact by now.

"He's famous" Alex said quickly.

"I hate to say it, but Mickey was right" After an elbow to the ribs he added. "Alex too" She smirked at him. "Over the years I've visited this planet a lot of times and I've been, uh, noticed" Alex snorted, sitting back in her seat.

"That's putting it lightly" She muttered, making the Doctor glance at her.

"Now they need you?" Rose asked, ignoring Alex's comments like usual, knowing it didn't mean anything and she wouldn't want it brought up.

"Like it said on the news, they're gathering experts on alien knowledge, and who's the biggest expert of the lot?" The Doctor asked smugly.

"Patrick Moore" Alex inputted seriously, staring straight ahead. The Doctor frowned at her and she shot him a grin.

"Apart from him!" He complained.

"Ah, don't you just love it" Rose grinned at him

"I'm telling you, Lloyd George, he used to drink me under the table. Who's the prime minister now?" He looked between the two expectantly. Alex skipped over the comment, not understanding at all, but frowned at the question.

"How should we know? We missed a year" Rose told him with a shrug.

"And I never followed politics my whole life. I'm also an American who's been in England 2022 for only a year" Alex added in. Rose blinked at her.

"Hold on, 2022?"

"Oh yeah, didn't I mention? I'm from another universe and the future" Alex told her. Rose didn't answer but simply stared at her with her mouth open and her eyes wide. "Apparently I didn't" Alex pulled out her phone and handed it to Rose. "Take a look" She told her. Rose took it, turning it over as she looked at it.

"Is this…?"

"A phone" Alex nodded. "See, you've just got to…" She pressed the button on top to turn it on and showed her how to unlock it. Alex had really forgotten how much phones had changed as Rose was most surprised by the touch screen. She showed Rose how to play some of the games on it and they spent the rest of the car ride like that. Rose playing on Alex's phone and trying to beat her high scores while the Doctor and Alex watched, trying to give her advice while she insisted she could do it herself.

The Doctor informed the two when the car had pulled up and Alex pulled her phone away from Rose, closing the app and locking it before slipping it in her pocket. The door was opened and the Doctor stepped out first, followed by Alex and then Rose. Alex looked around the crowd of reporters and cameras and police men holding them back. She looked up at the Doctor, seeing him grin around at them, waving. Alex looked back over at them, finding herself grinning as well.

Grinning for the pure reason that she was standing beside the Doctor, practically clinging to his coat as they were photographed and recorded and had people shouting out to them. The Doctor's arm slid over her shoulders and he led her after him as he turned to head inside. Alex found herself pressed to his side as the three of them were led into the building. They were guided into a room filled with people standing around talking, apparently waiting for the meeting to start. With the Doctor's arm now wrapped protectively around her waist, Alex glanced around, smiling slightly when she saw Harriet Jones slip in.

"Ladies and Gentleman, could we convene?" The secretary, _what was his nam_ e?, called out to everyone. "Quick as we can please. It's this way on the right, and can I remind you that ID cards are to worn at all times" He approached the small group as everyone was filing into the conference room. "Here's your ID card, I'm sorry, your companions don't have clearance" He told the Doctor, handing him a card. Alex looked up at the Doctor as he replied.

"I don't go anywhere without them" He told the man simply as he looped the ID card around his neck.

"You're the code nine, not them" The secretary insisted. Alex felt the Doctor's arm tighten slightly around her. "I'm sorry Doctor, it is the Doctor isn't it? They'll have to stay outside"

"They're staying with me" The Doctor said seriously.

"Look, even I don't have clearance to go in there. I can't let them in and that's a fact"

"It's alright, you go" Rose told the Doctor. He glanced over at her before looking to Alex, who was looking up at him. He could tell she was ready to stay behind, but could also tell she didn't want to. He moved a little closer to the secretary, saying something quietly into his ear. The man looked over at Alex in surprise when he pulled away.

"Excuse me, are you the Doctor?" Harriet asked from behind him.

"Not now we're busy" The man told her annoyed, apparently over whatever the Doctor had told him. "Can't you go home?" The Doctor turned to Rose, ignoring the two.

"Are you sure?" He asked seriously.

"Yeah, they're the experts, you should hear what they've got to say" She told him before glancing at Alex. "What about Alex?"

"Oh, I've worked it out" he told her, making Alex frown. "Don't get into any trouble" With that being said, the Doctor turned and followed the rest of the alien experts into the room, taking Alex with him. No one stopped them.

"How did you do that?" Alex asked, glancing back at the secretary.

"Told them you're someone else, don't worry about it" He shrugged.

"But I've no ID" She reminded him.

"Just don't draw attention to yourself"

"I'm following the Doctor, how am I supposed to not draw attention to myself?" Alex frowned at him. The Doctor snorted in amusement.

"Fair point"

They waited until the experts had taken their seats and two people had gone to stand up front until they took their own seats left at the back, picking up the small booklets that were sitting on the chairs. Alex looked over hers, not really reading anything as she glanced at the Doctor, who seemed to be reading extremely quickly. Alex looked over the way he was sitting forward and realised with a smirk what he was just about to do. _So much for not drawing attention_

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I'd like to have your attention please" A man in a military uniform spoke up front. "As you can see from the summaries in front of you, the ship had one porcine occupant-"

"Now, the really interesting bit happened three days ago" The Doctor interrupted, standing. Alex bit her lip in an attempt to not laugh as everyone stared at him in surprise. He ignored it obviously, walking up and down the row between the seats as he thought out loud. "See, filed away under every other business. The North Sea, the satellite detected a signal, a little blip of radiation one hundred fathoms like there was something down there… You were just about to investigate and the next thing you know, this happens. Spaceships, pigs, massive diversion, from what? If aliens fake an alien crash with an alien pilot, what do they get?" There was a pause as the Doctor thought this over and no one dared to interrupt his thinking.

No one except Alex of course.

"You"

The Doctor looked over at her in surprise, seeming confused.

"Not you as in, you know, you. You as in all of you" She fumbled slightly, gesturing around the room from her spot still in the chair at the back. The Doctor's eyes widened as he seemed to realise she was right.

"It's not a diversion, it's a trap" He clarified. "This is all about us" By now all the experts in the room looked fairly intrigued and were listening closely. "Alien experts. The only people with the knowledge how to fight them gathered in one room" One of the men in the front farted loudly and the Doctor turned, looking pointedly at the man with a raised eyebrow.

"Excuse me, do you mind not farting while I'm saving the world" The Doctor commented, sounding annoyed. Alex bit her lip again.

"Would you rather silent but deadly?" The man raised an eyebrow right back, him and the man in uniform laughing like it was the funniest thing in the world. Alex froze, her eyes widening in shock at how she could have forgotten. She looked around the room, mouth falling open as she realised. The man in uniform took off his hat and reached up to his forehead, slowly pulling away at a hidden zipper, making blue light shine out from inside. He pulled the skin suit down and stepped out as the two continued to laugh. The Doctor backed up slightly so he was in front of Alex when she stood.

"We are the Slitheen" the undisguised alien announced.

"Thank you for all wearing your ID cards" The man still in his disguise spoke, pulling something from his pocket. "They'll make it easier to identify the bodies"

"No!" Alex cried, making the Doctor turn to her just as he pressed the button. It was all so sudden, blue electric light surrounded every other person in the room, the Doctor included. She tried to move towards him.

"No" The Doctor managed, falling to his knees. "Don't" Alex whimpered slightly, covering her mouth with her hands.

"Doctor, no, what do i… what can I do…" She whispered to herself, looking back up at the Slitheen.

"Ooh, someone's not supposed to be here" The suited one tutted.

"Naughty, naughty" The alien spoke in its warped voice.

"What shall we do with her?"

"Hmm, I'm feeling a little peckish I think"

Alex's breath caught in her throat. She looked between the Slitheen, who were laughing at her panic, and the Doctor on the floor in front of her. She felt like she couldn't get her breath back and she was almost gasping for air, backing up until the backs of her legs hit the chair behind her. _Doctor please…_


	11. Call to Save the World, You See?

The moment seemed to last forever. The Doctor glanced to Alex and she looked right back at him until he had managed to rip the ID card from around his neck, holding the electricity in his hand. Alex was working on getting her breath back when he stood, facing the Slitheen.

"Deadly to humans maybe" He stepped forward, sticking the electrified card into the Slitheen with his suit off. Both before them cried out in pain as the electricity travelled through them. The Doctor turned, running to the door, taking Alex's hand as he passed her. They stopped down the hall in reception, where all the security was gathered.

"Oi!" The Doctor called, getting their attention as he dropped Alex's hand. "You want aliens, you've got them. They're inside Downing Street, come on!" He announced cheerily. He turned and led them back into the conference room, their guns ready as they followed. Alex stayed where she was as they passed, her breathing having not improved since they had run. She waited a moment to be sure she was okay before taking off after them.

Alex skidded to a stop just as the Doctor did beside her from the other direction. The two put their hands up in surrender as they were surrounded by security with their guns at the ready.

"They didn't buy it?" Alex asked the Doctor, still facing the guns.

"Nope"

"Fair enough"

"Under the jurisdiction of the emergency protocols, I authorize you to execute these two" One of the Slitheen ordered. The security readied their guns and Alex felt her breath catch again.

"Bloody hell" She muttered.

"Uh, well, now, yes" The Doctor stuttered slightly, trying to buy a bit of time. "You see… eh, the thing is… if I was you… if I was gonna execute someone by backing them against the wall, between you and me, little word of advice" Alex smiled as she heard the ping of an elevator behind them. "Don't stand them against the lift" He grinned, grabbing Alex's arm to make sure she followed as he backed into the lift and closed the doors with his sonic screwdriver.

Alex was leaning on the Doctor by then, working to breathe in enough air. The elevator opened again with a ping and there was a Slitheen out of its skin. It roared at them but the Doctor simply smiled, nodding past the creature at Rose and Harriet.

"Hello!" He called happily, watching them slip away from the creature as the closing doors distracted it. He looked over at Alex once the doors had closed.

"Are you alright?" He asked with a frown.

"Not… sure" She huffed. He turned to her properly.

"Alex? You're alright. We're alright, you see? We got away, see?" He spoke softly. Alex managed a laugh, her breathing becoming steadied.

"I see, Doctor" She grinned. He laughed. The door opened and the Doctor stepped out first, looking either way before waving Alex out with him.

"You right?" He double checked.

"Now, yeah" She nodded, although he noticed the particularly deep breath she took as she began to follow him. They reached a flight of stairs and the Doctor looked down, hearing soldiers talking and someone barking out orders. Alex glanced at him as he continued down, taking his hand as she followed. He didn't mention it, but gave her hand a reassuring squeeze as they went. The two had just stopped running, continuing in just walking, when the lift just ahead pinged. They backtracked quickly. The Doctor found a hiding place in a little crevice in the wall. Alex wasted no time in taking up her own hiding place opposite, knowing they'd surely be seen if they tried to squish in together.

Alex held her breath as she heard the Slitheen talking to one another, their voices giving away that they were out of their skin. They passed without noticing the two and Alex let her breath out slowly, following with a couple more slow breaths so she wouldn't have a repeat of what had happened before. The Doctor appeared in her view and held out a hand.

"Now to find Rose" He told her, following the direction of the Slitheen when she took his hand. They hadn't gone far when they could hear their voices echoing down the hall. Alex let go of the Doctor's hand, making him stop as she pulled a fire extinguisher from the wall. It fell quickly, Alex grunting with the weight of it before the Doctor took it from her.

"Good idea" He commented, continuing quickly when they heard yelling from down the hall. The Doctor kicked the door down, placing the fire extinguisher up on the arm of a couch and spraying it at two of the Slitheen. Alex ran in behind him just in time to see Rose pull the curtains down on one.

"Out! With me!" The Doctor called to them. Alex stood close behind him, taking Rose's hand as she and Harriet come to stand behind him. He glanced at Harriet.

"Who the hell are you?" He asked, confused.

"Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North" Alex recited. "Rude by the way" The Doctor nodded, ignoring her last comment as he turned back to Harriet.

"Nice to meet you" He said politely.

"Likewise" She managed, floundering at Alex. The Doctor gave another spray of the fire extinguisher before the four of them ran, him dropping it in the process and closing the door behind them.

"We need to get to the cabinet rooms" The Doctor told them as they ran.

"The emergency protocols are in there. They give instructions on aliens" Harriet told him.

"Harriet Jones, I like you" He said quickly. Alex couldn't help but smile as Harriet replied.

"And I like you too"

The Doctor got past a door with the sonic and they continued as the Slitheen chased them all the way back to the cabinet room. They reached the cabinet room and Harriet grabbed the protocols, her and Rose ready to run again when the Slitheen appeared at the door. The Doctor quickly picked up a bottle of alcohol from the table beside the door and held his sonic screwdriver to it.

"One more move and my sonic device will triplicate the flammability of this alcohol, whoof! We all go up. So back off" He ordered. The Slitheen hesitated and one of them backed up a little.

"Right then, question time" The Doctor announced. "Who exactly are the Slitheen?"

"They're aliens" Harriet piped up.

"Yes, I got that, thanks" The Doctor replied politely, although being slightly annoyed.

"Who are you if not human?" One of the Slitheen asked.

"Who's not human?" Harriet looked around.

"He's not human" Alex and Rose said at once.

"He's not human?"

"Can I have a bit of hush?" The Doctor asked, glancing back at the three.

"Sorry"

"So, what's the plan?"

"But he's got a Northern accent" Harriet continued.

"Lots of planets have a North" Alex and Rose responded in unison, making Rose glance at Alex with a raised eyebrow. _Oh right_ Alex remembered _I wasn't there…_

"I said hush" The Doctor snapped. "Come on!" He urged, holding the alcohol bottle up threateningly to the three in the door. "You've got a spaceship hidden in the North Sea, it's transmitting a signal. You've murdered your way to the top of government, what for? Invasion?"

"Why would we invade this god forsaken rock?" _Even the aliens seem to know_

"But something's brought the Slitheen race here, what is it?"

"Wrong" Alex spoke, making the Doctor look back at her for a moment.

"What? What I get wrong?"

"Slitheen is not our species, Slitheen is our surname" One corrected, seeming almost offended. "Jocrassa Fel Fotch Pasameer Day Slitheen, at your service"

"So, you're a family" The Doctor realised, raising his eyebrows.

"It's a family business"

"Then you're out to make a profit. How can you do that on a 'God forsaken rock'?"

"Ahh, excuse me?" One spoke up from the back. "Your device will do what? Triplicate the flammability…?"

"Yes" Alex nodded quickly.

"Is that what I said?" The Doctor frowned, making Alex sigh in annoyance.

"You're making it up!" They realised.

"Ah well! Nice try. Harriet, have a drink, I think you're gonna need it" He held the alcohol over his shoulder.

"You pass it to the left first" She corrected.

"Sorry" He handed the bottle to Rose over his other shoulder, seeing as Alex was behind him.

"Thanks"

"Now we can end this hunt… with a slaughter" The Slitheen declared happily. The Doctor simply crossed his arms, standing there and watching them.

"Don't you think we should run?" Rose asked, looking between him and the Slitheen.

"You're not running" Alex pointed out. Rose opened her mouth to reply when the Doctor started talking.

"Fascinating history, Downing street. Two thousand years ago this was all marsh land. 1730 it was occupied by a Mr Chicken. He was a nice man. 1796, this was the cabinet room. If the cabinet's in session and in danger, these are about the four safest walls in Great Britain" He flipped open a panel by the door. "End of lesson" And with a push of a button the steel reinforcements slid over the open doorway and the windows. The Doctor turned to them then.

"Installed in 1991, three inches of steel lining every wall, they'll never get in"

"And how do we get out?" Rose asked. There was a pause.

"Ah" He realised. Alex snorted in amusement, drawing everyone's attention to her as she leaned against the end of the table with her arms crossed. The Doctor rolled his eyes, seeing as it was him she was laughing at, Rose shook her head in annoyance at both of them and Harriet looked incredibly shocked that she could find that funny. She bit her lip, trying to smother a grin as she looked down, studying her boots.

"Sorry" She mumbled.

* * *

"What was his name?" The Doctor asked, kneeling down beside the secretary's body.

"Which one?" Harriet asked behind him.

"This one, the secretary or whatever he was called" The Doctor clarified.

"I don't know" Harriet realised. "I talked to him, I brought him a cup of coffee. But I never asked his name"

"Indra" A soft voice spoke up, making the two turn. "His name was Indra" Alex repeated, looking down at the body sadly from where she was stood in the doorway. She had her arms crossed tightly over her chest as she stared blankly. The Doctor looked down at the young man himself, crossing his arms over his chest to make him look more peaceful.

"Sorry, Indra" He said lowly. He stood, moving over to Alex. He stood in front of her, ready to pull her into a hug but she shrugged him off, moving back into the room. He stared after her sadly. She was obviously upset, but he'd seen her worse before. Knowing her, she was trying to prove to everyone, not least herself, that she was strong. He sighed. He understood her more than he'd like to.

"Right, what have we got?" He asked loudly, pulling himself from his thoughts as he entered the room. Alex was on the opposite side of the room, inspecting some of the walls as far away from everyone else as possible. "Any terminals? Anything?" He aimed the question at her but, to his disappointment, she didn't even look up.

"No, this place in antique" Rose answered instead, also shooting a glance at the other girl. "What I don't get is, when they killed the Prime Minister, why didn't they use him as a disguise?"

"Too skinny" Alex said simply, surprising all of them. She still didn't turn, tracing her fingers along the pattern of the wallpaper.

"She's right" The Doctor nodded. "They're big old beasts. They need to fit inside big humans"

"But the Slitheen are about 8 feet, how do they fit inside?" Rose asked, looking between the two who had the answers.

"Compression field" Alex answered simply, as she had done before. Her voice was slightly stronger than before, and if she wasn't still avoiding looking at them Rose might think there was nothing wrong.

"That's the device around their necks, literally shrinks them down a bit" The Doctor clarified when it became clear she wouldn't. "That's why there's all that gas. It's a big exchange" He grinned when Alex snorted in amusement.

"Wish I had a compression field. I could fit a size smaller" Rose joked, grinning proudly to herself when Alex turned.

"Count me in on that" She laughed, making Rose laugh in return.

"Excuse me, people are dead. This is not the time for making jokes" Harriet interrupted, seeming almost appalled by the girls laughing at a time like this. Alex's gaze hardened again at the reminder and she sat down at the large table, staring blankly at the dark wooden surface.

"Sorry…" Rose said awkwardly. "You get used to this stuff when you're friends with him" She gestured to the Doctor, who had busied himself scanning the walls with his sonic screwdriver.

"Well, that's a strange friendship" Harriet commented, looking between the three. Her gaze lingered on Alex as she seemed to realise the girl hadn't been as okay with the dying as she was led to think.

"Harriet Jones, I've heard that name before. Harriet Jones" The Doctor thought out loud. "You're not famous for anything are you?"

"Hardly" Harriet scoffed.

"Alex?" He glanced over at her. She looked up, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Don't look at me. I know her from a TV show" She pointed out. Harriet frowned at her.

"What?" She asked, completely confused now.

"Other dimension, spacy wacy" Alex waved off.

"Rings a bell, Harriet Jones…" The Doctor continued muttering to himself.

"Lifelong backbencher I'm afraid" Harriet sighed. "And a fat lot of use I'm being now. The protocols are redundant, they list the people who can help and they're all dead downstairs" Alex sighed, leaning forward to put her head in her hands. The Doctor stopped and looked over at her, concern written clearly over his face. Rose looked between the two, deciding she might have to take over for a bit.

"Hasn't it got like, defence codes and things?" She asked, looking back at Harriet. "Can we just launch a nuclear bomb at 'em?"

"You're a very violent young woman…" Harriet stared.

"I'm serious! We could!"

"Well there's nothing like that in here, nuclear strikes do need a release code, yes, but it's kept secret by the United Nations" Harriet explained, looking over the protocols again. The Doctor looked quickly over at her, away from Alex where he had been looking for the past few minutes.

"Say that again" he said quickly.

"What, about the codes?" Harriet asked, startled by his sudden order.

"Anything, all of it"

"Um, well the British Isles can't gain access to atomic weapons without a special resolution from the UN"

"Like that's ever stopped them" Rose scoffed, glancing at Alex. She still didn't move.

"Exactly" Harriet agreed. "Given our past record, and I voted against that thank you very much, the codes have been taken out of the government's hands and given to the UN" The Doctor didn't respond, simply listening. The room went quiet for a moment as he thought.

"Is it important?" Harriet asked, confused.

"Everything's important" The Doctor returned quickly.

"If only we knew what the Slitheen wanted" Harriet thought out loud before laughing. "Listen to me, I'm saying 'Slitheen' as if it's normal"

"What do they want though?" Rose asked, looking up at the Doctor.

"Well it's just one family so it's not an invasion. They don't want Slitheen world… They're out to make money, which means they want to use something, something here on Earth, some kind of asset" He spoke as he thought, pacing back and forth.

"Like what? Gold? Oil? Water?" Harriet listed.

"You're very good at this" The Doctor complimented.

"Thank you" She grinned, looking rather pleased.

"Harriet Jones, why do I know that name?" He muttered again. A phone chimed and Rose quickly started digging around her pockets.

"Oh! That's me" She declared, pulling it out.

"But we're sealed off, how did you get a signal?" Harriet asked, confused again.

"He zapped it!" Rose told her, sounding quite happy about it. "Super-phone"

"Then we can phone for help!" Harriet realised, turning to the Doctor. "You must have contacts"

"Dead downstairs, yeah" The Doctor said bluntly, not missing how Alex flinched at the mention. He made his way over to her, taking her hands away from her head. She jumped at his touch and pulled away quickly. She relaxed when her wide eyes fell on him and he frowned worriedly when he realised she'd been crying.

"I'm sorry Doctor. I forgot, I'm so sorry" She whispered sadly. He shook his head, pulling her in for a hug despite how she tensed at the contact.

"It's okay, Alex. It's not your fault" He assured her quietly. "You can't be expected to remember everything" She relaxed into him at those words and she was suddenly holding tightly onto the front of his coat.

"Doctor, it's Mickey" Rose told him gently after they'd been silent a moment.

"Tell your stupid boyfriend we're busy" He snapped, likely sounding harsher than he'd meant to.

"Yeah, he's not so stupid after all" Rose corrected, holding the phone out for him to see. Alex pulled back slightly and took the phone from her, holding it so they could both see the picture Mickey had sent of a Slitheen being electrocuted. She smiled softly.

"Good old Ricky" She whispered, making the Doctor grin at her.

* * *

Not long later Alex was sitting in another seat opposite her last, beside where the Doctor paced in his impatience. Harriet stood off to the side somewhere while Rose talked on the phone to Mickey at the end of the table. The Doctor glanced at her every now and then, her and her boyfriend being the source of his impatience. Alex smirked up at him and he pulled an annoyed face back at her when he noticed but he had smiled when he turned away.

"Is she alright though? Don't put her on, just tell me" Rose spoke into the phone. The Doctor seemed to have had enough, snatching the device from her ear and holding it to his own.

"Is that Ricky? Don't talk, just shut up and go to your computer" He ordered. Alex promptly elbowed him in the leg, that being to closest from where she sat. He glanced down at her and she shook her head, pulling a disapproving face. He sighed.

"Mickey the idiot, I might just choke before I finished this sentence. But eh, I need you" He struggled out. Alex and Rose glanced at each other from across the table, smiles forming on their faces.

* * *

"No, I've got it"

"You're putting it in the wrong one you idiot"

"I can do it!"

"Can you?"

The Doctor simply glared at Alex in response. He finally managed to plug the phone into the speaker, placing it down to talk to Mickey on the other end.

"Say again" He said first, having heard something from the phone during his struggle.

"It's asking for the password" Mickey repeated.

"Buffalo" Alex said quickly.

"Two f's one L" The Doctor clarified. Jackie said something on the other end but it was barely decipherable.

"All the secret information known to mankind" Mickey answered her. "See they've known about aliens for years, they've just kept us in the dark"

"Mickey, you were born in the dark" The Doctor corrected.

"Oh, leave him alone" Rose scolded.

"Well, you too" Alex pointed out, looking up to find the other girl glaring at her. "Sorry" She mumbled, looking back down.

"Thank you" Mickey said through the phone, knowing she was also somehow the reason Alex had apologised. "Password again"

"Repeat it" Alex answered immediately. "Every time"

"Big Ben, why did the Slitheen hit Big Ben" The Doctor repeated to himself as he thought. He glanced at Alex and she simply held his stare. Seeing as she had nothing to give him he went back to pacing.

"You said to gather the experts, to kill them" Harriet reminded him.

"That lot would've gathered for a weather balloon" He waved off. "You don't need to crash land in the middle of London"

"The Slitheen were hiding, and then they put the entire planet on red alert. What would they do that for?" Rose asked.

"Oh, listen to her" Jack muttered through the phone.

"At least I'm trying!"

"Well I've got a question if you don't mind" Jackie continued, sounding incredibly annoyed, if not angry. "Because since that man walked into our lives I have been attacked on the streets, I have had creatures from the pits of hell in my own living room and my daughter's disappeared off the face of the Earth"

"I told you what happened" Rose reminded her, annoyed.

"I'm talking to him. 'Cause I've seen this life of yours Doctor. And maybe you get off on it, maybe you think it's all clever and smart, but you tell me. Just answer me this. Both those girls, are they safe?"

Alex looked up sharply at the phone. Both? Jackie was worried about her? She looked up at the Doctor to find him staring intently at the phone.

"I'm fine" Rose insisted. "We're both fine"

"Are they safe? Will they always be safe? Can you promise me that?"

The Doctor looked up at Rose and Alex, who both stared back at him.

"No one can be perfectly safe anywhere" Alex said lowly.

"Well, what's the answer?" Jackie pressed, ignoring her. Alex locked eyes with the Doctor and he stared almost desperately back at her. She opened her mouth to say something but she couldn't think of a single word.

"We're in" Mickey spoke up suddenly.

"Right then" The Doctor broke eye contact to rush around the table and stop between the two girls. "On the left there's a tab, an icon, little concentric circles. Click on that" Mickey must have done what he said because a beeping came over the phone. Alex leaned in a little closer, trying to discern some kind of pattern.

"What is it?" Mickey asked.

"The Slitheen have got a spaceship in the North Sea and it's transmitting that signal. Now hush, let me work out what it's saying" He explained quickly.

"He'll have to answer me one day" Jackie muttered, annoyed.

"Hush" Mickey repeated. Alex smiled at his choice in words. He certainly wasn't the best character in his first episode, but he dealt with the Doctor well in his position.

"It's some sort of message" The Doctor pointed out.

"What's it saying?" Rose asked, looking to him.

"Don't know. It's on a loop, keeps repeating" The Doctor told them. There was the sound of a doorbell through the phone and Alex frowned. Wasn't it rather late? "Hush" The Doctor repeated.

"That's not me" Mickey told him, not seeming annoyed or surprised at all. "Go and see who that is" He spoke a little quieter.

"It's three O'clock in the morning" Jackie pointed out. So it was rather late. Made sense now that Alex was feeling a little tired.

"Well go and tell them that" Mickey suggested.

"It's beaming out into space, who's it for?" The Doctor thought to himself. The doorbell rang again and Alex frowned. Who could be there at three AM? There must be something she was forgetting. _Perfect, you can remember the UNIT passwords but not when a room full of people are going to die or who's at the door at three in the morning. Useless you are_.

There was screaming on the other end of the line and Alex shot up from her chair, watching the phone as everyone else did. Jackie was yelling something in the background.

"They've found us" Mickey spoke into the phone.

"Mickey, I need that signal" The Doctor told him, his tone warning.

"Never mind the signal" Rose snapped. "Mum just get out! Get out! Get out!"

"We can't it's by the front door" Mickey told them. "Oh my God, it's unmasking, it's gonna kill us"

"There's got to be some way of stopping them!" Harriet cried, turning to the Doctor. "You're the expert, think of something!"

"I'm trying!" He shot back. Alex pushed away from the table, pulling her hands through her hair. There had to be something, there had to be. What did they use? They had something in the flat. _Why can't you remember damn you!_ They heard the door being broken down and Alex's eyes snapped back to the phone.

"That's my mother" Rose pointed out, panicking.

"Right! If we're going to find their weakness we need to know where they're from, which planet" The Doctor declared. "So, judging by their face and shape that narrows it down to five thousand planets within travelling distance. What else do we know about them? Information!"

"They're green" Rose offered quickly.

"Narrows it down"

"Uh, good sense of smell"

"Narrows it down"

"They can smell adrenaline"

"Narrows it down"

"The compression technology" Harriet jumped in.

"Narrows it down" The Doctor nodded.

"Spaceship in the Thames, you said slipstream technology?" Rose remembered.

"Narrows it down"

"It's getting in!" Mickey shouted.

"Oh! They hunt like it's a ritual!" Rose pointed out.

"Narrows it down"

"Wait a minute!" Harriet spoke up. "Did you notice, when they fart, if you'll pardon the word, it doesn't exactly smell like a fart, if you'll pardon the word, it-"

"Oh for heavens' sake!" Alex cried suddenly. "I am an idiot! Raxacoricofallapatorius!" The Doctor's eyes widened in realisation and he turned back to the phone.

"Get into the kitchen!" He ordered. "Now, Raxacoricofallapatorius. Think, think, think. Calcium! Calcium, recombined by the compression field, acetic acid"

"Vinegar!" Alex remembered.

"Yes! Vinegar! Fantastic!" The Doctor praised, making her grin despite the circumstances.

"Just like Hannibal!" Harriet realised.

"Just like Hannibal" The Doctor nodded. "Mickey, have you got any vinegar?"

"How should I know?"

"It's your kitchen, Ricky" Alex reminded him.

"Cupboard by the sink, middle shelf" Rose told him through the phone.

"Give it here!" Jackie shouted. There was movement and Alex realised she had snatched the phone. "What do you need?" She asked.

"Anything with vinegar!" Alex and the Doctor spoke together. There was movement again and Jackie started talking as she gather things together.

"Gherkins! Yeah! Pickled onions! Pickled eggs!"

"You kiss this man?" The Doctor raised an eyebrow at Rose. There was the splash of the vinegar and then silence for a few moments followed by a loud bang. Everyone sighed in relief. Alex fell back into her chair, her head back and her eyes closed as she evened out her breathing.

"Hannibal?" Rose asked.

"Hannibal crossed the Alps by dissolving bounders with vinegar" Harriet told them. Alex looked up, finding someone holding a glass in front of her. She blinked and looked up at the Doctor.

"Alcohol" He whispered innocently, grinning. Alex laughed, taking the glass.

"Oh, well there you go then" Rose nodded at Harriet's explanation.

"Learn something new every day" Alex added, raising her glass with everyone. They all drank and Alex stared down at her cup as she swallowed. She'd never had whatever it was before, but she was sure she liked it. Bitter but not as stinging as some kinds of alcohol. It would do.

* * *

About half an hour later the adrenaline had worn off and Alex was sitting back in her chair with her feet up on the table, her eyes half closed as she swirled her third glass. It was taken from her and she blinked at her empty hand for a moment before looking up to find the Doctor placing her glass on the table.

"I think that's enough for now" He commented, crouching down beside her. "You alright?" She nodded.

"Just tired" She sighed, her fingers playing with the collar of his coat.

"And a bit of a lightweight I think" He smirked, gently pulling her hand away. He placed her hand on her lap and patted it a moment. "You have some rest, yeah?"

"Yeah" She nodded, her eyes already falling shut. He stood and moved to brush some hair from her eyes, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"You did great" He whispered. She could feel herself already drifting off when something warm covered her. She smiled and cuddled closer to the Doctor's coat as she fell asleep.

Alex came slowly back into consciousness, hearing the other occupants in the room talking quietly. She didn't move so they wouldn't know she was awake. She needed to figure out where they were up to first.

"Mickey, any luck?" Rose was asking.

"There's loads of emergency numbers, they're all on voicemail" He responded.

"Voicemail dooms us all" Harriet muttered.

"If we could just get out of here…" Rose thought to herself. There was a pause.

"There's a way out" The Doctor said quietly.

"What?"

"There's always been a way out"

"Then why don't we use it?" The confusion was clear in Rose's voice and Alex's heart rate picked up when she remembered what they were talking about. There was movement and the Doctor spoke a little louder.

"Because I can't guarantee the girls will be safe" He said regrettably.

"Don't you dare" Jackie snapped quickly. "Whatever it is, don't you dare"

"That's the thing, if I don't dare, everyone dies"

"Do it" Alex told him, surprising him as she sat up.

"Do it" Rose agreed.

"You don't even know what it is" He started looking at Rose. "You'd just let me?"

"Yeah" She said simply. He glanced at Alex, who gave him a small smile and nodded.

"I know. Do it" She told him softly. He simply stared at them, stunned.

"Please, Doctor. Please!" Jackie spoke through the phone. "She's my daughter. They're just kids"

"Do you think I don't know that?" He bit back. "Because this is my life Jackie, it's not fun, it's not smart it's just standing up and making a decision because nobody else will"

"Then don't" Alex told him, attracting his gaze. "Because I'm telling you, I'll make the decision. Do it"

"What're you waiting for?" Rose added quietly. He looked between the two, locking his eyes on Alex after a moment.

"I could save the world but lose you" He said desperately. Alex could feel her heart break and the sadness in his voice, how desperate he was to not let her get hurt, but he knew he had to do it, and so did she.

"Except it's not your decision" Harriet spoke up. "Neither of you, it's mine"

"And who the hell are you?" Jackie demanded angrily.

"Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North. The only elective representative in this room. Chosen by the people, for the people, and on behalf of the people I command you, do it"

The Doctor looked back at the girls, grinning. Alex couldn't help but laugh at his sudden apparent happiness. But maybe it was, maybe he was happy that, for once, the decision wasn't his.

"How do we get out?" Rose asked, climbing up in the table.

"We don't" Alex told her, moving to stand beside the Doctor, his coat forgotten on her chair.

"We stay here" The Doctor confirmed, opening the emergency protocols. "Use the buffalo password, it overrides everything" He told Mickey.

"What're you doing?" Jackie asked.

"Hacking into the Royal Navy" Mickey replied, sounding surprised himself. "We're in" He said after a pause. "Here it is, uh… H.M.S Taurean, Trafalgar Class submarine. Ten miles off the East Coast of Plymouth"

"Right, we need to select a missile" The Doctor told him.

"We can't go nuclear, we don't have the defence codes"

"We don't need to" Alex told him, wanting to feel useful.

"All we need is an ordinary missile" The Doctor continued. "What's the first category?"

"Sub Haffoon. UGMA4A"

"That's the one, select"

Jackie said something quietly in the background and Mickey responded just as quietly. Alex and the Doctor exchanged a worried look.

"Ready for this?" He asked. There was a pause.

"Yeah" Mickey said eventually.

"Mickey the idiot" The Doctor spoke, sounding almost like he wasn't insulting him. "The world is in your hands. Fire"

Alex turned to Rose.

"The steel isn't solid enough for a long-range attack. You've a plan, yeah?" She asked the other girl. Rose looked surprised for a moment before brushing it off, turning to the cupboard.

"It's like what they say about earthquakes, you can survive them by standing under a doorframe" She explained, beginning to empty it out. Alex was quick to step in and assist her. "Now this cupboard's small so it's strong. Come and help us! Come on!" Harriet hurried over to help.

"It's on radar. Counter defence 556" Mickey spoke up.

"Stop them" Alex called over.

"I'm doing it now"

"Good boy, Ricky" She praised. There was a moment of quiet as the girls continued working.

"556 neutralised" Mickey told them.

"Doctor!" Alex called from the doorway, watching as he disconnected the speaker and ran over with the phone. There was gunfire from outside and Alex froze, her eyes fixed on the door. There were people downstairs. She could only hope they all got out. She didn't register her name being called until hands wrapped around her waist and she was being pulled inside only to fall on top of the Doctor.

"Thanks" She breathed, moving so she was sitting next to him. He only gave a nod in response as Rose closed the door and sat squished in beside her.

"Nice knowing you all" Harriet told them. Alex turned to grab at the Doctor, a small squeak of fear falling through her lips. He wrapped an arm round her shoulders and held Rose's hand on the other side as he grabbed Harriet's hand too. There was a moment of silence, and then there was anything but. Harriet and Rose screamed as the whole small room shook, but Alex had her eyes shut tightly, breathing fast and silent. The Doctor held her even closer as a particularly loud crash made her scream. Then as soon as it had begun, it was over.

The four of them were all quiet for a moment before Rose and Harriet stood first, stepping out cautiously. Alex didn't move, still clutching at the Doctor with her eyes shut and her breaths coming shot and sharp.

"Alex. Look we're okay" The Doctor spoke quietly, trying to pull her away. She let go but grabbed at his arms as he held her by her shoulders. "We made it. See?" She opened her eyes when he said that, meeting his encouraging grin with a hesitant smile.

"I see" She whispered in return. She looked him over then, realising something for the first time. "Oh, Doctor" She said sadly.

"What is it?" He asked, suddenly concerned again.

"Your coat" Was all she said. He looked down and seemed to realise she was right, they'd left his coat. He laughed, relieved she was okay enough to be worried about that. She smiled genuinely in return and he helped her to her feet, guiding her out of their little safe box.

"Someone's going to have a hell of a job sorting this lot out" Harriet was telling Rose. "Oh, lord! We haven't even got a Prime Miniter!"

"Maybe you should have a go" Alex encouraged, giving the older woman a warm smile.

"Me?" She laughed. "I'm only a back bencher"

"That's why you should" Alex responded quickly, making her frown.

"What do you mean?"

"Great leaders don't choose to lead. They are called forward by necessity. Guess what, Harriet?" She grinned. "These people need you"

"I'd vote for ya!" Rose added enthusiastically. Harriet looked between the two with a smile.

"Thank you" She said honestly. "Look, I'd better go and see if I can help" Alex gave a small nod and watched her leave.

"Where did that come from?" The Doctor asked curiously. Alex looked up at him, realising his arm was still over her shoulders, but he didn't seem to want to move any time soon. She looked back at Harriet to obscure the blush she knew was on her face.

"I saw it on a movie" She responded evenly, making the two on either side of her laugh. Harriet turned halfway over to the crowd of people, finding Rose and The Doctor laughing and Alex grinning at her. She turned back to the people, making excuses and explaining things while re-assuring everyone they were safe.

"I thought I knew that name" The Doctor began as Alex ducked away. "Harriet Jones, future Prime Minister, elected for three successive terms, the architect of Britain's Golden Age" The two watched Harriet fondly for a moment as she spoke to a camera. The Doctor seemed to realise Alex wasn't there and turned to look for her, spotting her kneeling down in the rubble of Downing Street, digging through. He frowned, walking over to her as she pulled almost desperately at a rather large rock. His shadow fell over her and she glanced up, looking like she'd been caught doing something she shouldn't

"What are you doing?" He asked, pulling the rock away for her. It became clear quite quickly when she snatched up what was underneath. She stared sadly down at the worn leather coat in her hands, singed slightly more up one arm and a seam ripped at the front of the hem.

"I'm sorry" She said softly. He smiled reassuringly at her, taking it from her gently.

"It's perfectly okay" He assured her, inspecting it for a moment before putting it on. They stood together, Alex taking his left arm to inspect the fire damage.

"You found it" Rose pointed out, making the two look over at her. She was grinning happily at them. "Just as well, doesn't look right without it" Alex laughed, nodding as she took the right side of the hem, holding the small rip back together.

"I know, just wait 'til the next one" She agreed.

"Oi!" The Doctor cried indigently. "I'll have you know I have excellent taste in coats" Alex smirked at him, leaning up on her toes to whisper in his ear.

"Technicolor dreamcoat from number Six" She said, pulling away and raising an eyebrow suggestively at him. He looked lost for words and Alex laughed at his expression, practically skipping away to link her arm with Rose's.

"Come on then, that Tardis awaits. Allons-y" She told the other girl, tugging her along as she started off.

"What?" The Doctor called after them, following.

"Spoilers" Alex returned, smirking over her shoulder. He looked so annoyed by that one word that the two girls started laughing as they walked.

"I knew I liked you from that start" Rose told her.

"I knew I liked you before the start" She replied happily. The Doctor managed to catch up and walked beside Alex, taking her hand in his. She grinned up at him and he returned it brightly.

* * *

Alex had returned to the Tardis with the Doctor, sitting up on the grates circled around the walls as he worked on the console. Rose had gone inside to spend time with her mother and Alex had gone silent when she had mentioned it. The Doctor tried to cheer her up but seemed to have decided it was best to leave her alone. She had found a nice little notebook with a dark blue cover and was drawing in it when the Doctor had called Rose. He put the phone on a speaker system Alex hadn't known existed and soon enough Rose's voice filled the Tardis.

"Hello?"

"Hello!" Alex shouted back brightly before he could speak. He didn't seem too upset, even smiling as he shook his head at her.

"Right, I'll be a couple of hours, then we can go" He told the girl.

"You've got a phone?" She asked incredulously.

"It is a phone box" Alex pointed out.

"You think I can travel through time and space and I haven't got a phone?" The Doctor added, laughing. "Like I said, couple of hours. I've just got to send out this dispersal…" He moved to press a button on the console and returned back to his position. "There you go, that's cancelling out the Slitheen's advert in case any bargain hunters turn up"

"My mother's cooking" Rose told them, sounding hesitant.

"Good! Put her on a slow heat and let her simmer"

* * *

Rose frowned as Alex's laughing filled the speaker and couldn't help but smile a bit bemusedly at the girl.

"She's cooking tea, for us" She corrected.

"I don't do that" The Doctor said immediately.

"She wants to get to know you"

"Tough. I've got better things to do"

"It's just tea"

"Not to me it isn't"

"She's my mother"

"Well she's not mine"

* * *

"That's not fair" Rose said it like a statement, like she wasn't complaining. But Alex kind of agreed with her.

"Well you can stay there if you want" The Doctor pointed out, pausing then. He looked up at Alex and she knew he was talking to both of them when he continued. "But right now there's this plasma storm brewing in the horse head nebula. Fires are burning ten million miles wide. I could fly the Tardis right into the heart of it and then ride the shockwave all the way out. Hurtle right across the sky and end up anywhere" There was another pause and the Doctor turned back to the console. "Your choice" He said simply, pressing a button and hanging up the call.

Alex simply stared at him a moment, going through all the things she wanted to say to him right now to try and find which to use.

"Why don't you just set the controls to random?" She asked after a moment. "You could end up anywhere and you don't have to fly into the heart of a plasma storm" He looked up at her with a frown.

"There is no random" He told her, confused. Alex raised an eyebrow.

"Really? Oh well, must be a later update then" She thought out loud, frowning then. "Are you sure?" He paused.

"Yes" He answered, looking very unsure. Alex laughed and placed her notebook and pencil down on the edge, jumping off.

"Alright, gonna have a chat with Ricky. Think I saw him with a paper, I wanna see what it says" She told him, patting his shoulder as he passed. He gave a nod in reply and watched her leave. He waited a few moments before walking over to reach up and grab her book down. He frowned at the page she had been drawing on, glancing at the door before continuing through the book.

Each page was filled with a pencil sketch of a person. Some he recognised, there was one of Rose, one of Mickey, and he smiled at the one of him. Then there were ones he didn't, a little boy with a bright smile and a football, a man and woman sitting together, a young man with a laptop in front of him. The Doctor glanced back at the door nervously, not wanting her to know he'd seen when he realised who those people were. Her family. Alex had been drawing pictures of her old family. He turned back to the detailed picture of the young boy, thinking back on the little brother Alex had told him about before, looking it over with a sigh.

"Oh, Alex"

* * *

"You knew it wasn't a good thing to do, didn't ya?" Alex's voice spoke as he opened the door.

"Yes, Miss" The boy beside the Tardis nodded, scrubbing at the graffiti he'd painted on the day before.

"And see this is what happens when you do things you're not supposed to, got that?"

"Yes, Miss"

"You finished there?"

"Yes, Miss"

"Good lad, graffiti that again and I'll 'ave ya" The Doctor spoke up, closing the door behind him.

"You be thankful we don't call your mother" Alex added from where she stood across the alley beside Mickey, who was sat up on a trash bin. "Now shoo" She tilted her head, gesturing for him to go and watching as he picked up his cleaning bucket and ran off. She smiled after him and turned back to the Doctor.

"Kids" She sighed, shaking her head. He grinned in return stepping closer to the two. He wasn't sure why, but he didn't like seeing her standing to close to Mickey.

"I just went down the shop. And I was thinking, you know, the whole world's changed" Mickey told him. "Aliens and spaceships all in public. And here it is" He held up a newspaper so he could clearly see the heading _'Alien hoax?'_. The Doctor gave a smile and Alex laughed as Mickey started complaining.

"How could they do that? They saw it!" He insisted, looking between the two.

"You're just not ready" The Doctor explained simply. "You're happy to believe in something that's invisible, but if it's staring you in the face, nope! Can't see it! There's a scientific explanation for that, you're thick" Alex snorted in amusement, shaking her head as the Doctor laughed and even Mickey smiled.

"We're just idiots" Mickey rephrased.

"Well, not all of you" The Doctor said simply. Mickey visibly straightened at that.

"Yeah?" He asked, almost as if he was expecting him to say he was kidding and insult him again.

"Present for you Mickey" he said suddenly, pulling a disk from his pocket and stepping closer to hand it to him. "That's a virus, put it online and it'll destroy every mention of me" He explained as Mickey took the disc, looking at him confusedly. "I'll cease to exist"

"What do you want to do that for?"

"'Cos you're right. I am dangerous, and I don't want anybody following me"

Alex laughed slightly and he looked down at her, raising an eyebrow.

"What's funny?" He asked, confused himself now.

"Oh nothing" She replied almost distractedly, playing with the collar of her jacket with one hand. "Just, well I spent a lot of time trying to follow you when I was younger, never quite worked out" She explained with a shrug.

"I'm here aren't I?" He pointed out, smiling at her when she grinned. The three turned when Rose and Jackie exited the flats, the latter trying to talk her daughter into staying.

"How can you say you don't want people following you, and then take her with you?" Mickey asked, gesturing to the approaching Rose.

"You could look after her, come with us" The Doctor offered. Alex's eyes widened and she looked from him to Mickey, smiling hopefully. He glanced up at her, his expression making hers fall.

"I can't" He tried to explain. "This life of yours… It's too much. I- I couldn't do it" Alex gave a small smile.

"Yet" she told him. She glanced past him at the approaching women and he followed her gaze.

"Don't tell her I said that" He requested quickly as they came into earshot.

"I'll get a proper job. I'll work weekends and if Jim comes 'round again, I'll say no, I really will" Jackie pleaded.

"I'm not leaving 'cos of you. I'm travelling, that's all. And then I'll come back" Rose told her.

"But it's not safe"

"Mum… If you saw it out there… You'd never stay home" She told her. She turned then, pulling a large backpack from her shoulders.

"Got enough stuff?" The Doctor asked sarcastically.

"Last time I stepped in there it was spur of the moment" She reminded him, unceremoniously shoving the bag into his arms. He grunted under the unexpected weight, shifting to grab hold of it. "Now I'm signing up. You're stuck with me" She pointed at him, laughing as she backed away. He stared at her, glancing at Alex as if silently asking for help. Alex simply laughed, making him look even more lost. Rose walked up to Mickey as Jackie looked the Doctor up and down, fixing him with a glare.

"Come with us" Rose suggested to Mickey. "There's plenty of room" Mickey made a vague gesture to the Doctor and Alex, who now stood by his side.

"No chance, he's ah a liability. I'm not having him on board" He told her. Alex pulled a face at him and glanced back at Rose, acting as if she wasn't expecting it.

"We'd be dead without him" Rose pointed out.

"My decision is final" The Doctor stated. Rose glanced at Alex and she shrugged as if to say _'what do you expect me to do?'_ Rose turned back to Mickey.

"Sorry" She said honestly. They shared a quick kiss and Mickey gave her a small wave as she backed away.

"Good luck then" he told her, glancing at Alex to show he was talking to her too.

"You still can't promise me" Jackie accused, rounding on the Doctor. "What if she gets lost? What if something happens to you Doctor, and she's left all alone standing on some moon a million light years away, how long do I wait then?" The Doctor didn't answer, simply holding Rose's backpack tightly and looking lost.

"Mum…" Rose called softly, attracting her attention. "You're forgetting, it's a time machine. I could go travelling around suns and planets and all the way to the edge of the universe and by the time I get back, yeah, ten seconds would have passed. Just ten seconds" She put her hands on her mother's shoulders, smiling reassuringly. "So don't worry. See you in ten seconds time, hmm?" The two hugged and Rose stepped back to enter the Tardis. The Doctor went to follow but stopped when he noticed Alex had moved closer to Jackie.

"Mrs Tyler" She started hesitantly.

"Jackie, please" She corrected. Alex smiled.

"Jackie, I promise you, as long as I am alive nothing will happen to Rose. I will protect her with my life" She promised. Jackie smiled softly at the girl.

"Thank you. But… remember to take care of yourself okay?" Jackie told her. She moved forward to hug her and the younger girl stiffened for a moment, not expecting it, but relaxed quickly.

"Okay" She agreed as they pulled apart.

"Lord knows how well he does" She added, gesturing to the Doctor. Alex laughed, but shook her head.

"The Doctor does a great job looking after me. And with Rose under the protection of me and the Doctor, she's the safest person in the universe right now" Alex said, honesty lacing every word. The Doctor froze at that. She really believed they were safe, just because they were with him. He didn't even think he believed that himself. Alex shot the woman one last smile and waved to Mickey, who waved back, before stepping into the Tardis, the Doctor following behind.

* * *

 **Props to anyone who can work out what movie Alex got her insparational quote from, because I (she) may have butchered it beyond recognition. This... is the longest chapter I have ever posted in my life. Like, wow. And damn, was there angst. Anyway, review if you like something, dislike something, know the quote, have a comment. I love them all. Until next time.**


	12. Just A Watch

"Alex?" The Doctor called almost hesitantly, knocking on the door. He looked over the gold cursive of her name as he waited.

"Come in" She called softly, followed by a laugh. He stepped in, closing the door behind him as he took in the appearance of the room. The stars shone brightly on her ceiling but some seemed to darken for a moment, as if something was blocking them, before they returned. It took him a moment to realise that was exactly the case. Alex was lying on her back looking up but turned over to watch as Amity climbed down the wall and stopped on the bed in front of her.

"How can I help you?" She asked with a grin, stroking the metal of Amity's head.

"I need to talk to you about something" He said slowly. Alex frowned at his serious tone, sitting up.

"Sleep Amity" She ordered, looking down at the creature. He promptly scurried back onto her desk, climbing into the metal semi-sphere there and it closed behind him. She turned her attention back to the Doctor, moving to sit against the bedhead as she patted the covers beside her. He moved to sit but sat in the middle of the bed instead of where she had gestured, facing her.

"The other day, I mean, you said, but, oh I'm not sure how to say this" He stumbled, looking lost. Alex sat forward with a concerned frown.

"Just say it" She urged. "Go ahead" He took a deep breath before reaching into his pocket, pulling out the pocket watch from her box. Alex looked down at it and back up at him.

"I told you, it's-"

"Just a prop, so you said" The Doctor interrupted, speaking quickly. "But you also said five sonic screwdrivers, sonic blaster, tell me, where are those?"

"Well, they're…" She trailed off, realising she hadn't seen any of her collection in weeks.

"Exactly" He nodded. "See, they _were_ props, so they didn't belong in this world, they're not here"

"So if it's not a prop…" Alex realised, her eyes widening. The Doctor nodded enthusiastically. "Well is there someone in there? I mean, wouldn't you be able to feel it?"

"Yes" He said simply.

"Yes to which one?"

"Yes"

She looked back down at the watch in shock and he moved to pass it to her. Alex quickly scrambled off the bed, backing away.

"How do you know it's mine?" She asked, her excitement gone. He frowned at her.

"It was found with your things" He said simply.

"Maybe someone lost it, maybe it just got caught up with my stuff, I don't know" She tried, speaking louder and louder.

"Alex, whoever this belonged to would never let it go, they'd know, somewhere in their subconscious that it was important to never lose it" He explained gently, standing from the bed. He held it out to her again. "If you'd just hold it-

"No!" She cut him off, moving so the bed was between them.

"Alex, what's wrong?" He asked, looking between her and the object in his hand.

"If that's mine, then that means… that means I don't exist" She told him quietly. His eyes widened in realisation. "It means I'm not real. But I can't be" He didn't respond. "I'm real!" She insisted loudly.

"Okay" He told her, holding his hands up in surrender. "You don't have to open it if you don't want to, I certainly won't force you" She nodded slowly, watching him for another moment before she decided she trusted him enough to slide back onto the bed. She sat against the bedhead like she had before, her arms wrapped around her legs with her knees under her chin as she stared blankly at the wall. The Doctor frowned in concern, sitting on the edge of the bed but keeping his distance.

"Alex, it's okay" He assured her. "I don't think you're not real. You still matter" She looked at him.

"Do you know who it is?" She asked quietly. He looked down at the watch.

"No idea" He admitted. "Whoever it is, they're hiding from me. Obviously they know who I am, but that doesn't narrow it down at all" Alex simply nodded, going back to staring at the wall. A minute of silence passed between the two before she broke it again.

"If I hold it, it might be able to talk to me, yeah?" She asked. He looked over at her.

"Yeah" He responded just as quietly.

"And when I put it down I'll still be me?"

"Yeah" He nodded, hopeful. Alex gave a small nod, holding out her hand silently. The Doctor watched her closely, looking for any sign she wanted to back out. Seeing nothing, he slowly placed the watch in her hands. She stared at the object intensely.

"I don't thi-" She cut herself off with a gasp, jumping away from him and ending up on the floor. He moved to see she was alright but stopped himself from calling her name. She looked around with wide eyes, backing up against the wall.

"Hey, hey it's okay" He said softly, slipping off the bed slowly to crouch in front of her. "It's okay, the war is over. You're safe" Her eyes locked on his and it almost looked as if she'd stopped breathing.

"Theta?"

He froze and in that moment she gasped and the watch fell from her grip. Alex was sitting in front of him again, breathing quickly and looking down at the watch. It took him a moment to react, helping her up and over to the bed as she calmed her breathing. He looked down at the gold watch before picking it up and turning it over to trace the Gallifreyan symbols engraved in it.

"She knew you" Alex said softly. Making him turn. She was staring at him. "She was scared, last thing she had seen was the war, fighting" The Doctor watched her with wide eyes. "Who was she?" She asked hesitantly. He looked down at the watch again. "Doctor?" He moved slowly, placing the watch on the far side of her bedside table before climbing onto the bed to hug her tightly. She was shaking, he noticed.

"I don't know" He admitted, looking over her shoulder at the offending object. "And I really don't like not knowing"


	13. Impossible Survivors

After Alex had calmed down from the incident with the watch and seemingly forgotten it her and Rose had stayed in their rooms to sleep for at least a couple hours before they set off again. Alex had chosen her clothes that morning, evening, whatever, rather slowly. She kept glancing back at the watch, even as she tried to put it behind her. She stood in front of the mirror for a bit, trying to make sure she looked convincingly okay before she let Rose see her. She and the Doctor had agreed the night before to not tell her about it just yet. She looked herself over, her black jeans and Tardis blue top, a black leather jacket the Tardis had provided her with over the top. She managed a smile when she thought about walking out into the console room matching the Doctor.

Satisfied that she looked okay, she shot one last glance at the watch on her nightstand and, ignoring the whispers of another person, closed the door as she left.

She walked quickly, convinced that the sooner she got to the console room and to whatever lay outside the sooner she could forget about the night before. She thought about forcing a smile but when she saw the Doctor running circles around the console, getting ready to go, she didn't have to try.

"Where are we going today?" She asked happily, resting her hands on the console beside where he stood.

"Well" He began, reaching over to pull a lever on the other side of her. The Tardis shook slightly but calmed quickly. Alex glanced at the screen and while it was still indecipherable Gallifreyan she recognised it enough to know they were still in the vortex. "I thought I'd wait for the two of you to decide" He turned to lean back against the console with his arms crossed.

"So, what do you think for today? Space or time?" He asked. Alex hummed in thought, looking over the controls on the console before she thought of something.

"Victorian era!" She cried suddenly. "19th century London! I always loved a little Victorian"

"Are you sure?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Alex frowned.

"'Course I'm sure. Why wouldn't I be?"

"You'd have to wear a dress" He reminded her, knowing how much she hated doing so. She paused, frowning at the console. "So…?"

"Give me a minute, trying to decide if it's worth it" She told him, not looking up. He laughed just as Rose walked in.

"When are we going today?" She asked, the grin clear in her voice. She always enjoyed saying things that made no sense anywhere but the Tardis. It was something that Alex got to know about her outside the show, and those were the kind of things she liked to learn.

"Alex's trying to decide if 19th century London is worth the dress she'd have to wear" The Doctor told her, amused. Alex swatted at his arm, turning to lean on the console as he was doing.

"You shut up, Martian" She said without thinking. He frowned, glancing down at her.

"Martian?" He asked incredulously. She simply shrugged. "I'm not from Mars" He pointed out, making her laugh.

"All…right then" Rose spoke up as she managed to calm down. "19th century London, yeah? Sounds great, let's go" The Doctor nodded, turning to the console and typing in co-ordinates.

"You can change once we've landed" He told them. "For now, Alex, over there, red lever, yellow button. Rose, hold on" Both did as they were told and they flew themselves off to their destination. Something beeped and Alex glanced at the monitor.

"Oh, Doctor" She began, frowning.

"Hold on" He replied distractedly. "Something's not right" Rose frowned, but said nothing until they landed. Alex checked the monitor again and made a face.

"Doctor, this isn't the 19th century" She complained.

"I thought you couldn't read that stuff?" Rose asked, confused.

"I can't, but I can recognise certain things" She clarified. "Like for one thing, we're on earth. And for another" She pointed out some smaller writing off to the side. "That does not say 1800's" The Doctor moved to check himself and nodded.

"You're right. It's more like…"

"21st century" Alex told them, grinning proudly.

"Yes it is, good job, Lex" The Doctor praised, ruffling her hair.

"Two things" She frowned, batting him away. "One, never call me that again, and B, never touch my hair" He laughed, heading for the door and Alex rolled her eyes as she followed.

"B?" Rose muttered to herself, confused but unsurprised by her friend's antics as she followed. She stepped out into the dark room, glancing around as the Doctor was doing while Alex was stroking the side of the Tardis, muttering things under her breath.

"So what is it? What's wrong?" She asked, looking up at the man next to her.

"Don't know. Some kind of signal drawing the Tardis off course…" He explained vaguely, glancing back at Alex with the ship.

"Where are we?" Rose asked then.

"Earth like Alex said. Utah, North America. About half a mile underground" He answered before turning to Alex again. "Closer to home for you" He pointed out. Alex shrugged.

"I guess. Never been underground America though" She pointed out, moving to stand beside him.

"And… when are we?" Rose asked next.

"2012" The Doctor said simply.

"God, that's so close" Rose pointed out in disbelief. "I should be… 26" Alex laughed.

"I forget sometimes you were born in a different year" She told the other girl, looking over at her. "I should be ten"

"Ten?" Rose asked, bewildered.

"Ten" Alex nodded simply. "Double digits though, at least there's that" She shrugged, grinning as the Doctor laughed. All of a sudden the large room was filled with light and Alex had to blink it away, covering her eyes with her hand a moment before actually looking around. The Doctor joined her again after having wandered off at some point when she hadn't noticed.

"Blimey! It's a great big museum!" Rose exclaimed, looking around in wonder.

"An alien museum" The Doctor pointed out, not sounding impressed. Alex's eyes widened suddenly as she remembered and she found herself suddenly looking around for any sign of security. "Someone's got a hobby. This must have cost a fortune." He continued, not noticing Alex's change in demeanour. He started down a row, pointing out the objects as he named them. "Chunks of meteorite. Moon dust… That's the milometer for the Roswell spaceship"

"That's a bit of Slitheen!" Rose called out suddenly, making Alex turn to see what was in fact a Slitheen arm. "That's Slitheen's arm, and it's been stuffed" The two exchanged disgusted looks.

"Oh! Look at you!" The Doctor said suddenly, turning Alex's attention back. Her mouth dropped open in shock as she moved over to stand beside him.

"Is that…"

"Yeah" He nodded. "It is"

"What is it?" Rose asked, looking at the Cyberman head from behind them.

"An old friend of mine" The Doctor told her before frowning at himself. "Well, enemy. The stuff of nightmares reduced to an exhibit. I'm getting old" Alex snorted, shaking her head.

"Getting?"

"Oh, shut up"

Alex looked around a minute, her gaze stopping on one piece in particular and she felt as if she'd stopped breathing. Was that a piece of wood? A piece of blue wood? A piece of blue wood from a certain spaceship. She glanced back at the Tardis before looking back to the exhibit piece. She went to step forward to have a better look when an alarm rang out and she quickly backed up into the Doctor when they were surrounded by soldiers with guns pointed at them. He wrapped his arm over her shoulders and held her close to him.

"You touched the glass?" Alex asked, her voice coming out oddly choked. The Doctor glanced down at her, nodding.

"I touched the glass" He agreed.

"If someone's collecting aliens, that makes you exhibit A" Rose pointed out. Alex and the Doctor exchanged a glance. He then returned his attention to the surrounding soldiers and grinned at them.

* * *

Alex was walking close to the Doctor as the three of them were led down a hall with some kind of secretary in front of them and soldiers behind them.

"I hate this" She whispered to him.

"What exactly?" He whispered in return, glancing back at the soldiers.

"Being scared, I feel like a goddamn child" She muttered. He grinned down at her.

"That's alright" He assured her. "It's perfectly normal to be afraid of guns"

"Rose is fine on her own"

The Doctor glanced over at Rose, who was walking beside them and hearing what they were saying, and then back at Alex.

"Do you want me to let you go?" He asked, noticing he still had his arm around her shoulders.

"No" She said quickly, one hand grabbing the torn hem of his jacket. He simply nodded in response as they turned into an office.

"What does it do?" The man at the desk asked impatiently, taking the object being handed to him by a younger man.

"Well, you see the tubes at the side must be to channel something. I think maybe fuel" The boy explained.

"I wouldn't hold it like that" Alex spoke up.

"Shut it" The secretary snapped. But Alex had already found her bravery where the guns weren't being pointed at her and she simply raised an eyebrow in return.

"Really, though. That's wrong" The Doctor confirmed.

"Is it dangerous?" Adam asked, seeming equal parts scared and intrigued.

"No. It just looks silly" He laughed. Alex rolled her eyes in amusement. He reached forward to take it, leaving Alex alone for the moment and that was when the guards decided to point their guns at them again. Alex froze, glancing around at them. The older man held up a hand and they lowered their guns as he handed over the piece.

"You just need to be…" The Doctor returned to Alex's side, running his fingers gently over the pipes of the object, creating a small but beautiful sound much like a soft harmonica. Alex watched the object with wonder. "Delicate"

"It's a musical instrument" The man realised, watching, impressed like everyone else.

"And it's a long way from home" The Doctor nodded, sneaking a glance at Alex, who smiled softly, remembering the first day she met him.

"Here, let me" The man requested, standing. Instead of waiting for any kind of answer he snatched it away from the Doctor.

"I did say 'delicate'" He reminded the man. "Reacts to the smallest fingerprint" The man tried at the instrument but it only made a series of beeping noises, like it was complaining.

"It needs precision" The Doctor reiterated. The man changed to stroking his fingers down the item, producing a few notes, although louder than the Doctor had and nowhere near as beautiful.

"Very good, quite the expert" The Doctor praised.

"As are you" The man returned. He promptly threw the instrument over his shoulder and the Doctor and the boy beside him looked shocked but Alex simply glared at the man.

"Who exactly are you?" The man asked. The Doctor shifted, eyeing the man with distain before he answered.

"I'm the Doctor. And who are you?"

"Like you don't know" The man scoffed arrogantly. "We're hidden away with the most valuble collection of extra-terrestrial artefacts in the world and you just stumbled in by mistake"

"Pretty much sums me up, yeah" The Doctor nodded.

"Oh, but seriously it does" Alex agreed.

"The question is, how did you get in?" The man continued, much to Alex's irritation. "53 floors down with your little cat burglar accomplices" He looked over Alex and Rose. "Quite a collector yourself, they're rather pretty"

"They're gonna smack you if you keep calling them 'they'" Rose snapped.

"She's English too!" He realised, looking back at the Doctor before turning to the boy beside him. "Hey little lord flauntelroy, got you a girlfriend"

"This is Mr Henry Van Statten" The boy told them.

"And who is he when he's at home?" Rose asked, purposely acting like he wasn't in the room.

"Mr Van Statten owns the internet"

"Don't be stupid, no one owns the internet" Rose scoffed.

"Well…" Alex trailed off, not saying anything more. Rose blinked at her in surprise.

"And let's keep the whole world thinking that way, right kids?" Van Statten smiled smugly.

"So you're an expert in just about everything except the things in your museum" The Doctor figured out. "Anything you don't understand, you lock up"

"And you claim greater knowledge?" Van Statten asked, suitably annoyed now. Alex scoffed, shaking her head slightly at the man.

"I don't need to make claims, I know how good I am" The Doctor replied calmly.

"And yet, I captured you. Right next to the cage" Van Statten pointed out smugly. "What were you doing down there?"

"You tell me" The Doctor returned.

"The cage contains my one living specimen"

"And what's that?"

"Like you don't know"

"Show me"

"You wanna see it?"

"Blimey, you can smell the testosterone" Rose commented.

"Goddard, inform the cage. We're going down" Van Statten ordered, receiving a nod from the secretary. "You, English" He pointed to the boy beside him. "Look after the girl. Canoodle of spoon or whatever it is you British do. And you Doctor with no name… America. Come and see my pet" He walked over to the elevator, the Doctor and Alex following behind.

"Why am I America?" Alex whispered frowning. The Doctor simply shrugged.

* * *

"We tried everything." Van Statten explained, leading them through the halls and down into the cage. "The creature has… shielded itself, but there's definite signs of life inside"

"Inside? Inside what?" The Doctor asked, confused.

"Haven't you ever considered that there's things you don't know for a reason?" Alex asked, staring darkly at Van Statten. He glanced back at her.

"No" He said simply.

"Welcome back Sir" A scientist spoke as they entered. "I've had to take the power down, the Metaltron is resting"

"Metaltron?" The Doctor asked incredulously.

"Thought of it myself" Van Statten told them proudly.

"That explains it" Alex muttered, just loud enough for them to hear. Van Statten glowered and the Doctor grinned.

"Although I'd much prefer to find out its real name" He continued.

"Here, you'd better put these on" The scientist told the two of them, holding two pairs of gloves. "The last guy that touched it… burst into flames"

"We won't touch it then" The two spoke in unison. Goddard smirked in the background as the man looked suddenly uncomfortable.

"Go ahead, you two. Impress me" Van Statten urged, stepping back to watch. Alex and the Doctor shared a glance, both seemingly confused as to why she was being included. Alex realised suddenly that she was, actually, really scared to see the creature she knew was behind those doors. The Doctor seemed to notice too as the door opened and she hesitated. He took her hand, stroking the back of it with his thumb as he led her in slowly. They heard Van Statten giving another order as the door closed behind them. Alex jumped slightly, looking at the door behind her with wide eyes.

The Doctor gave her hand a reassuring squeeze as he pulled her slightly across the room to inspect the instruments Van Statten had been using on the alien. Alex couldn't help pulling a disgusted face at the sight of them. No matter what the creature was, this was just wrong. She had always been disappointed in the human race. They could be so much, but there was only few to show that. The Doctor turned to the side of the cage where a blue light was shining dully, giving away the position of the alien he was looking for. He still held Alex's hand tightly in his own, letting her stand slightly behind him.

"Look, I'm sorry about this" He started sympathetically. "Mr Van Statten might think he's clever, but never mind him. I've come to help. I'm the Doctor"

"Doc-tor" The grating metal voice spoke. Alex flinched, feeling her heart racing as she pressed herself into the Doctor's back. His hand tightened on hers and she realised he mightn't have noticed he was doing it.

"Impossible" He whispered, completely shocked.

" _The_ Doctor?" It asked.

The Doctor watched with wide eyes while Alex had hers closed tightly when the lights came on, revealing the Dalek chained up.

"Exterminate!" It cried, repeating the word as the Doctor moved away to the door, pressing Alex into the corner of the doorframe with himself in front of her. He banged frantically on the door.

"Let us out!" He shouted, watching the Dalek with wide eyes.

"You are an enemy of the Daleks, you must be exterminated" The Dalek declared. Alex whimpered in fear, her hand clutching tighter at the Doctor's coat even as no shot came. She tried to calm her breathing and as the Doctor laughed suddenly, she forced herself to slowly open her eyes.

"It's not working!" He realised, laughing again as it moved to look down at its gun. Alex pried her fingers off his coat, moving away from him slightly to step slightly closer. "Fantastic! Oh, fantastic! Powerless. Look at you, the great space dustbin, how does it feel?" Alex actually smiled at that, but it quickly turned into a strange kind of smirk as she moved closer.

"Powerless" She repeated, laughing slightly as the Dalek tried to move away, straining against the chains.

"Keep back!" It ordered, seemingly terrified as the Doctor appeared next to her.

"What for?" He asked, leaning in close to its eyepiece. "What're you going to do to me?" he demanded. There was silence for a minute. "If you can't kill… then what are you good for, Dalek? What's the point of you?" He moved to circle the creature as Alex stepped back. She blinked, surprised at herself as the Doctor continued.

"You're nothing. What the hell are you here for?" He went on, his gaze fixed on the Dalek's eyepiece as it followed him around.

"I am waiting for orders" The Dalek said, sounding almost unsure of itself already.

"What does that mean?" The Doctor asked, questioning but not changing his attitude about the creature in the slightest.

"I am a soldier. I was bred to receive orders"

"You're never gonna get any" Alex spoke up, her voice cold and emotionless. The Dalek moved to look at her. "Not anymore"

"I demand orders!" It cried.

"There's no one to give you any!" She shouted suddenly, making even the Doctor stare at her with wide eyes. "Your race is dead! You burned, all of you. Ten million ships, countless Daleks, all wiped out in a single second!"

"You lie!" It accused.

"I watched it happen" The Doctor took over, standing in front of it again. "I made it happen!"

"You destroyed us?" The Dalek asked. Alex would have said it was distraught if it had any emotions. The Doctor's expression changed and he turned away, taking a couple steps to the other side of the room.

"I had no choice" He told it quietly.

"And what of the Time Lords?" It asked, looking to Alex and back to the Doctor, waiting to see who answered.

"Gone" Alex whispered.

"They burnt with you. The end of the Last Great Time War. Everyone lost" The Doctor spoke solemnly.

"And the coward survived" The Dalek accused.

"Oh, and I caught your little signal, 'help me', poor little thing" The Doctor mocked. "But there's no one else coming 'cos there's no one else left" The Dalek's eyepiece lowered as it spoke again.

"I am alone in the universe"

"Yep" The Doctor smiled.

"So are you" It continued, making his smile fade.

"We are the same"

"We're not the same" The Doctor fumed, turning on the Dalek angrily. "I'm not-" He stopped himself suddenly. "No wait, maybe we are. You're right, yeah, okay. You've got a point. 'Cos I know what to do. I know what should happen. I know what you deserve" Alex stood beside him, glaring at the Dalek as he looked at it with an almost insane grin. "Exterminate" The line that, coming from the Doctor, always scared Alex the most in this episode, or the series even, didn't even make her flinch. She showed no reaction as he pulled down a lever next to him and the Dalek was engulfed by electricity, screaming again.

"Have pity!" It cried desperately.

"Why should I? You never did" He responded coldly, turning up the voltage.

"Help me!" The Dalek screamed, even as the door was opened. The soldiers grabbed the Doctor quickly but in the moment they missed Alex she lunged at the control panel. She turned the voltage up as far as she could before she was pulled away. The Dalek's screams changed pitch as it sparked and Alex was hopeful she had actually managed to kill it until one of the soldiers switched it off. Van Statten shouted at the Dalek while the Doctor called for them to destroy it but Alex ignored them. She tried to struggle away, taking note of how the men holding her stumbled in surprise.

They held her arms tightly, dragging her out alongside the Doctor even as she screamed at them to let her go and let her kill it. The Doctor focussed his attention on her, watching as she struggled against the men holding her. His gaze was drawn to her eyes as a flash of gold caught his attention. His eyes widened and he was beyond shocked for the second time that day.

"Impossible" He whispered.

He only knew one person who did that.

* * *

 **Well then. Review, if you like. They feed me, munch munch**


	14. New Friends And Old Enemies

Alex didn't stop fighting against the soldiers even as they left the cage and let go of the Doctor. She didn't even notice. There was suddenly a person in front of her and hands on either side of her face. She tried to pull away but whoever it was held her firmly in place.

"Alex, calm down. You have to stop" The Doctor spoke softly. Alex ceased her movements but her eyes darted every which way, not meeting his and her breathing was heavy. "Alex? Alex look at me" She did so, but her gaze was soon snatched away and she gave another tug against the soldiers before stilling again, but she was still far from calm. The Doctor looked desperate, not knowing what to do. He seemed to get an idea, but hesitated before leaning in close to whisper in her ear.

Alex gasped suddenly and it was like she came out of a trance. He breathing slowed slightly as her eyes locked on the Doctor's immediately. She looked downright terrified.

"Doctor?" She whispered.

"Let her go" He ordered the soldiers. They glanced at Van Statten but a wave of his hand had them following his instruction. She fell forward the second they weren't holding her up and the Doctor caught her quickly, holding her close.

"It's all right, Alex. You're okay" He told her softly. She looked up at him with panicked eyes.

"What happened?" She asked, confusing him.

"What do you remember?" He asked in return, waiting patiently for her answer.

"I remember… you talking to the Dalek. But there's sort of bits missing. It was saying… saying it was alone. Then I was here" She told him, frowning as she thought back over the missing spots.

"What's wrong with me?" She asked him. He glanced back at Van Statten and his secretary who, as expected, were listening intently.

"I have an idea, but it'll have to wait until later" He told her gently. She nodded. "Can you walk?" She nodded again, pushing off him. He held his hands out, just hovering around her arms in case she fell but she steadied herself quickly.

The guards moved them soon after and they had no choice but to follow Van Statten and his secretary into the elevator.

"The metal's just battle armour. The real Dalek creature's inside" The Doctor was explaining, even as he glanced down at Alex again.

"What does it look like?" Van Statten asked eagerly.

"A nightmare. It's a mutation. The Dalek race was genetically engineered, every emotion was removed except hate"

"Genetically engineered" The other man repeated, impressed. "By whom?"

"By a genius, Van Statten. By a man who was king of his own little world, you'd like him"

"It's been on Earth for almost fifty years" Van Statten told him. "Sold at a private auction moving from one collection to another. Why would it be a threat now?"

"Because I'm here" The Doctor answered simply. "How did it get to Earth, does anyone know?"

"Records say it came from the sky like a meteorite. It fell to Earth on the Ascension Islands, burnt in its crater for nearly three days before anyone could get near it and all that time it was screaming. It must have gone insane" Van Statten explained.

"Must've fallen through time" The Doctor confirmed. "The only survivor"

"You talked about a war?" The other man reminded him, wanting to know more. Alex could actually never blame him for asking about that one, she always thought she would too.

"The Time War. The final battle between my people and the Dalek race"

"But you survived too" Van Statten pointed out.

"Not by choice" He corrected. Alex though back to the part of the war she'd seen. She often wondered how much he remembered from that day. He didn't remember himself, but did he remember talking to the Moment? When she told him his punishment was him living? Did he remember what she looked like?

"This means that the Dalek isn't the only alien on Earth, Doctor" Van Statten realised, breaking Alex out of her thoughts. "There's you. The only one of your kind in existence" Alex looked up at the man, now suddenly terrified for her friend as she remembered just what he was going to do to him.

"You keep your hands off him" She growled threateningly. He simply smirked in response.

"Set up a couple testing rooms" He told the woman by his side. Alex paled as she realised what he was saying.

 _Not good._

* * *

Alex cried out in pain as they ran the scanner over her again. It turned off and she slumped forward, breathing heavily. Who knew humans thinking you're an alien was this bad? Van Statten seemed determined to prove she wasn't human, but he wasn't here to yell at. It seemed the Doctor was more interesting since something actually showed up on his.

"Bloody. Hell" She panted, lifting her head to glare at the young man behind the control desk. "Find anything yet?" She shouted, making him jump.

"Um, no, no-nothing. Not yet" The boy answered, looking, in a word, terrified. Alex found herself laughing, her head falling forward again. She pulled back up and moved so her back rested against the upright metal table she was chained to.

"You're scared of me" She noted, her voice losing its edge from before. She just sounded tired. The boy looked up at her cautiously. She felt suddenly grateful that they seemed to allow her decency enough to leave her clothes on for the scanner.

"Y-yes" He agreed. Alex smiled bitterly, shaking her head.

"I'm not the one you should be scared of, mate" She told him conversationally, smiling like she was talking about the weather.

"The creature in t-the vaults?" He guessed, having heard the two wanted it dead.

"Well that too" Alex nodded, making the boy intrigued. Or maybe a little more terrified.

"What are you talking about, then?" He asked, frowning slightly.

"The man next door. The Doctor, do you know who he is?" She asked. The boy shook his head and she took that as a sign to continue. "He is a man from another world, although you already knew that. He's just come from a war. That man was a soldier in the biggest war in the universe. And he was the one who ended it. Blew the final nuke, killed them all." The boy's eyes were wide in terror by now and Alex only smiled.

"That man could be a hero, or worse than your nightmares could imagine. It all depends which side of him you stand on. You see this? Right here? Do you know which side this is?"

"Which side?"

"The wrong one"

There was a moment of silence and the boy lunged at a button only to be stopped by Alex's voice.

"Now you could call security to feel safer. But we both know that won't work. So I've got a better idea" She lifted her hands slightly, showing the chains that held her in place. "Press the other button. Be the one who saved me instead of the one who trapped me, and the Doctor might leave you alone" There was another moment of silence and the boy eyed a different button. "Please, I'm not just telling you this to get out" He looked up, frowning in confusion.

"What else could you want?" He asked, listening carefully.

"I want to save my friend. That girl downstairs, you know, the British girl?"

He nodded.

"The Doctor and I, we took her with us when she asked. But her mother was afraid for her. I made a promise, a promise to protect that girl to the ends of the universe and if you don't let me go right now that promise is a good as broken" She explained, her voice getting softer as she went. The boy didn't do anything. Alex sighed, letting her head fall back and closing her eyes. So much for protecting Rose.

There was a metallic click and before she could register it properly Alex was falling. She caught herself on her hands and knees, gasping slightly as she hit the floor. A pair of hands helped her to her feet and she frowned at the boy who stood in front of her.

"I thought you were scared of me?" She remembered, pulling away to stand on her own. He looked up at her, being shorter, and Alex realised how wide his eyes were.

"I am. But I'm not about to put someone in danger for it" He spoke determinedly. Alex couldn't help but smile, then she was grinning at the boy and she laughed.

"Now that, is much better" She told him, ruffling his hair. "If we'd met in different circumstances you might even have the Doctor's respect" He looked at her, shocked. "As for now, you might be on the good side, but only just" He nodded.

"I diverted the guards from outside and as many as I could from the halls without raising suspicion. You'd better go now if you want to save your friend" He told her quickly. Alex grinned at the boy and turned to run to the door. She stopped before leaving, turning back.

"When those alarms go off, get to Van Statten's office. Stay out of sight as much as possible and do not go downstairs. After everything is over get a new job researching something from Earth" She told him. He stared at her with wide eyes. "That's how you will survive this" She added, not waiting for a response before she turned and left.

Alex looked up and down the halls, smiling at the sight of no guards. But this wasn't the time to stop. She moved quickly, navigating the halls carefully around the guards. Despite what they thought, she wasn't dangerous enough to take them out in any way, shape, or form. She managed to get to the vault and stood by the door, not wanting to be seen until she was sure this was the right time. He heart rate picked up when she saw the screen show an image of Rose and the other boy, Adam, inside the cage.

She ran past without thinking, moving too fast for anyone to react and got inside just in time to see Rose reaching out to the Dalek.

"Rose stop!" She called, rushing forward to pull her away. She just managed to get Rose out of the danger zone when she was grabbed from behind. She fell forward, instinctively putting out a hand to stop herself even as she knew it was a mistake. The metal burned under her hand and she hissed in pain, pulling away. She shoved the guard who had grabbed her back into the other room, yelling for Rose to get out as she grabbed Adam by the arm and pulled him roughly out behind them.

"Close that door, lock it now" She ordered, watching as the men at the computers did as she said. Well, that was pretty easy, she didn't even have to tell them it'd kill them. Act like you know what you're doing in a life-threatening situation and people listen. This must be what the Doctor feels like. The monitor showed the Dalek inside and she watched in horror as it broke the chains that once held it in place. An alarm rang out and Alex realised she had just saved one of the men without realising it. She glanced back at the man she assumed to be a scientist who had tortured the Dalek before she looked back at the screen, deciding to forget about him for now. Another screen blinked to life and the Doctor's face showed up along with Van Statten and his secretary lady.

"You've got to keep it in that cell" He ordered quickly.

"Doctor I'm sorry, I tried not to, I really did, I just needed to get Rose out" Alex told him quickly. He frowned at her.

"Why are you down there? How did you get out? No one could find you" He asked, shooting a glance at the people behind him.

"I'm stealthy" She returned quickly. Even as she dismissed it she noticed the boy who had released her standing in the background. He stood against the wall, not speaking to anyone or doing anything, just staring at the camera. He was showing her he'd made it.

"I've sealed the compartment, it can't get out. That lock's got a billion combinations" one of the men at the computers told the Doctor.

"A Dalek's a genius, it can calculate a thousand billion combinations in one second flat" The Doctor told him. The door opened soon after and the guards started shooting. Alex glanced back at the screen, ignoring Van Statten's shouting to not shoot as she looked to the Doctor.

"Alex, get Rose and run. Get out of there!" He shouted, watching as she nodded and moved to grab Rose.

"De Maggio, take the civilians and get them out alive. That is your job, got that?" The man at the computers ordered, looking to one of the guards. She nodded, turning to the three of them.

"You, with me" She told them, gesturing them out quickly. Alex took one last look at the Doctor.

"She's coming Doctor" She said quickly, turning and running out before he had time to process what she was saying.

They ran with the guard, De Maggio, in front. They passed a row of others, ready to attack the Dalek. Alex stopped just behind them. Every one of these people is going to die.

"Alex! Come on!" Rose shouted, returning to grab her arm and drag her away. The girls and Adam were soon ahead of De Maggio as she covered them. They ran into a stairwell and Rose grinned.

"Stairs! That's more like it!" She declared, looking almost proud of herself. The three of them ran up around to the first landing and Rose stopped to look down. "It hasn't got legs! It's stuck!"

"You think superior alien technology would be forever stopped by stairs?" Alex asked, annoyed. Rose looked at her and her smile faded. De Maggio ran in, looking up at the three.

"It's coming! Get up!" She shouted to them.

"Great big alien death machine, defeated by a flight of stairs" Adam mocked.

"Wanna bet? How about your life?" Alex snapped, standing closer to him. He said nothing.

"Come with us, you can't stop it" Rose called her urgently, realising what Alex was saying.

"Someone's got to try" The other woman returned determinedly. "Don't look back, just run" Alex shook her head.

"De Maggio, I-"

"Now!"

Alex looked at her one last time, torn between angry and devastated.

"I'm sorry" She whispered. She grabbed Rose's arm, continuing up the stairs with her and calling for Adam to follow. They heard the Dalek shoot and De Maggio's scream and then she was gone. The three kept running. They only stopped when they found themselves standing in front of a mass of soldiers ready to shoot.

"Hold your fire!" The commander ordered before gesturing to the small group. "You three, get the hell out of there!" Alex pushed Rose along in front of her and followed behind Adam, giving the commander a two-fingered salute as she passed. She joined Rose and Adam where they stopped and looked back to see the Dalek come into view. It looked around for a moment before fixing its gaze on Alex. Her breath caught and she froze, only moving again when Adam pulled both girls through the door.

"It was looking at Alex" Rose pointed out, stopping again.

"Yeah it wants to slaughter us!" Adam returned, seeming anxious that they weren't moving.

"I know! But it was looking right at her"

"So? It's just a sort of metal eye thing, it's looking all 'round!"

"I don't know" Alex shook her head, even as she pulled Rose along to keep moving. "Its like it was actually _looking_ at me. Like it… knows who I am" She shook the thought away and sped up, making sure Rose was in front of her. They were heading up a flight of stairs when Alex's phone rang. She pulled it out and checked the screen as she ran, not recognising the number. She answered it quickly, knowing exactly who it was.

"How did you get my number?" She asked, panting slightly as she didn't slow down.

"Memorised it when I fixed your phone" The Doctor answered quickly. "Where are you?" She glanced around, finding a sign inside the stairwell quickly.

"Level 49"

"You've got to keep moving, the vault's being sealed off. Bulkhead level 46" He explained. Alex looked up, feeling almost helpless as she looked at how many levels of stairs there were.

"And you're the one closing them" Alex remembered.

"Yes. I can't wait and I can't help you. Now for god's sake, run"

Alex lowered the phone to focus on running, shouting for Rose to make sure she got passed the bulkhead.

"We're nearly there" Alex spoke into the phone. There was a pause.

"I'm sorry" He whispered. Alex looked up quickly, seeing the bulkhead up ahead already beginning to lower.

"Come on!" Adam called. He managed to roll underneath.

"I'm sorry" Alex said quietly, pushing Rose forward so she slid under the door with just enough room. Alex hit the bulkhead and stopped, lowering her head against the metal as she panted for breath.

"Alex, where are you? Alex, did you make it?" The Doctor asked frantically. Alex sighed, lifting the phone to her ear.

"I was a bit slow" She told him reluctantly. "I'm sorry" There was a pounding on the other side of the bulkhead, Rose's voice muffled by the metal. Alex closed her eyes as she heard the Dalek approaching.

"Doctor" She spoke quietly. "Don't blame yourself for this, please. This was not your fault" He didn't respond. Alex swallowed nervously, turning slowly to face the Dalek. "Goodbye Doctor" She whispered, hanging up the phone. She slipped it into her pocket as the Dalek stopped in front of her.

"Exterminate"

"Yeah, I kinda figured that"

Alex closed her eyes tightly, flinching at the sound of the Dalek gun, but she was still here. She opened her eyes slowly, finding the Dalek standing still in front of her.

"What, is that it?" She asked, feigning innocent confusion as she spread her arms in a shrug. "That's all you've got?"

"I am armed. I will kill. It is my purpose" It replied.

"Well that's not what you're doing" Alex pointed out, trying to keep the terror out of her voice as she realised she was shaking.

"You killed everyone down there. They are all dead because of you" Alex told it angrily.

"They are dead because of us" It corrected. Alex paused, realising it was right. Not only did she not stop it when she knew, this time she was the direct cause.

"Then kill me" She told it, spreading her arms open again. "Come on, this is my fault, yeah? Go ahead, then. My turn, kill me"

"You wish to die?"

"It's my fault, isn't it!?" She shouted now, all the events of the past month flying through her mind. Every time she knew what was to happen and let someone die because she didn't change it. Then the past two days with the watch. What happened in the cage that she didn't remember. "Then kill me!"

"I feel your fear" The Dalek stated.

"That's not for you" Alex responded lowly.

"Daleks do not fear, must not fear!" It cried, firing wildly at the wall around her. She flinched every time but other than that managed to keep herself relatively composed. "You gave me life! What else have you given me? I am contaminated!" It cried hysterically. Alex watched it with an almost sad look.

"I'm sorry" She said quietly.

* * *

Adam stepped out of the lift into Van Statten's office, Rose crying silently beside him. The Doctor rounded on him immediately.

"You were quick on your feet, leaving Alex behind" He accused, stepping up close to him.

"I'm not the one who sealed the vault!" Adam retorted. The Doctor pulled Rose towards him, hugging her close. He turned back to Adam, ready to speak again when the screen behind them flickered to life. The screen showed Alex standing beside the Dalek. Her expression was blank but she looked up at the camera with wide eyes.

"Open the bulkhead or Alex Collins dies" The Dalek declared. The Doctor and Rose stepped towards the screen, wearing matching expressions of relief and joy. Neither noticed the boy in the background, stepping forward slightly to see and looking incredibly relieved himself.

"Alex!" Rose cried.

"You're alive!" The Doctor followed. Alex managed a minuscule smile.

"Can't get rid of me" She returned. The Doctor's expression fell slightly as he thought about what could have happened to her.

"I thought you were dead" He said quietly.

"Not today, Doc" She smiled.

"Open the bulkhead!" The Dalek repeated. Alex's smile fell quickly.

"Don't do it!" She yelled, although she knew it was no use.

"What use are emotions if you will not save the woman you love?" The Dalek asked. The Doctor paused, glancing at Van Statten before looking back at Alex. She shook her head slightly, staring up into the camera with wide eyes. He thought over all the time he'd had with her, and the person she might really be. And then he had to do it.

"I killed her once" He said, mind made up as he walked to the computer. "I can't do it again" Alex lowered her head and closed her eyes as the bulkhead opened and the screen switched off.

* * *

Alex glanced nervously at the Dalek beside her as the elevator rose steadily.

"Don't kill them" She requested simply. "You don't have to, and you know that. You didn't kill me" The Dalek's head turned to look at her and she stared right back at it.

"But why not?" It asked, desperate for answers. "Why are you alive? My function is to kill. What am I? What am I?" Alex opened her mouth to answer but found that she couldn't, simply closing it again.

"That's a question for another man" She said softly. The lift opened and Van Statten was standing there, waiting.

"Don't move, don't do anything. Van Statten, as much as I hate you, the Dalek is starting to question itself and it might not kill you" Alex rambled quickly. The Dalek moved forward.

"Van Statten, you tortured me. Why?" It asked.

"I wanted to help you" The man tried, backing away slightly in his fear. "I just… I don't know. I- I was just trying to help. I thought if we could get through to you, if we could mend you… I wanted you better, I'm sorry" The Dalek didn't stop its advance, backing the man against the wall. "I'm so sorry! I swear!" He continued, his voice rising in pitch. "I just wanted you to talk!"

"Then hear me talk now. Exterminate! Exterminate!" It cried loudly, making the man wince.

"Stop" Alex's voice filled the place, even and calm but loud and firm. The Dalek turned its head towards her. "You don't have to kill any more, you really don't. Think about this, there must be at least one other thing you want"

The Dalek looked back at Van Statten and then back at Alex, seeming to have come to a decision.

"I want freedom" It told her. Alex looked right into its eye and gave the creature inside a reassuring smile.

"Then let's get it, yeah?"

* * *

Alex followed the Dalek, watching it as they reached floor one and it shot a hole in the ceiling. Alex blinked at the sudden light that fell on the two of them, grinning suddenly. She stood in front of it so it could see her as she took in the light.

"Never thought I'd be so happy to see the sunlight. Never thought I'd see it again" She mused quietly, lifting her hand to look at the light shining over it.

"How… does… it… feel?" The Dalek asked, its voice coming out slower than normal. Alex watched, amazed as the casing opened, revealing the mutation inside. She smiled as the creature raised one of its tentacles to the light, looking at it much like Alex had done moments before.

"Get out of the way"

Alex jumped slightly at the sudden voice, having forgotten about the Doctor as she was focussed on the creature in front of her. She turned slowly, finding her heart beat faster at the sight of the Doctor with a large gun in his hands, pointed right at her with a cold look on his face.

"Alex, get out of the way, now!" He ordered. Alex almost felt like doing as he said, beginning to see why people feared him. It was one thing to watch on a television screen, a completely different one to see in person with a gun pointed at you.

"No" She managed to get out, small and even unsure sounding. "No" She repeated, louder, her tone almost matching his now. "Doctor, I won't let you do this"

"That thing killed hundreds of people" He pointed out. _Dear lord no, I always hated this line of Rose's. I can't do it. Don't make me…_

"It's not the one pointing the gun at me"

"I've got to do this. I've got to end it" He insisted. "The Daleks destroyed my home, my people. I've got nothing left"

"Look at it" Alex spoke softly, moving out of the way just enough for him to see but not enough so that he could shoot it without getting her caught in the crossfire. An idea which, frankly, terrified her.

"What's it doing?" The Doctor asked, looking confused.

"Feeling the sunlight" Alex told him gently. "That's all it wants"

"But it can't…" He protested weakly, his voice wavering with his uncertainty.

"It couldn't kill me. It couldn't kill Van Statten" She told him. "It's changing" She swallowed, taking a breath. "But what about you Doctor? What the hell are you changing into?" She could see the words hit him the second they left her lips and she wanted nothing more than to run and hug him and tell him she was sorry. But that was something he needed to hear, he needed to remember. He needed to be the Doctor. He lowered the gun, stepping back slightly, looking so completely lost. He looked like he was questioning his own existence.

"I couldn't…"

Alex pursed her lips, trying to keep from speaking when she heard the tears in his voice.

"I wasn't…"

He looked at the Dalek, then back at Alex, visibly deflating.

"Oh, Alex. They're all dead" He spoke sadly. Alex gave a small nod, tears of her own threatening at seeing him so broken.

"Why do we survive?" The Dalek asked, looking at the Doctor now.

"I don't know" The Doctor replied solemnly.

"I am the last of the Daleks" It sounded like it was having trouble speaking, but Alex couldn't tear her gaze from the Doctor.

"You're not even that" The Doctor corrected. "Alex did more than regenerate you. You absorbed her DNA. You're mutating"

"Into what?"

"Something new, I'm sorry"

"I can feel so many ideas, so much darkness… Alex!" It cried out. "Give me orders! Order me to die!" Alex shook her head slightly, a tear falling free as she turned from one broken creature to another.

"I can't" She whispered sadly.

"You understand, you asked to die" It reminded her. Alex closed her eyes, suddenly feeling the Doctor's gaze on her back. "This is not life, this is sickness. I shall not be like you. Order my destruction. Obey! Obey! Obey!" Alex sniffed slightly, looking down at the creature sadly as it stared back at her desperately.

"Do it" She whispered.

"Are you frightened, Alex Collins?"

Alex nodded. "Yeah"

"So am I" The Dalek admitted. "Exterminate"

Alex stepped backwards, turning to run back to the Doctor. He dropped the gun to hold her tightly as she reached him. She turned slightly to watch as the Dalek closed its casing and lived into the air. The golden balls around the bottom lifted away to form a sphere around it, sealing it in a force field and it exploded inside, vanishing into nothing. Alex turned into the Doctor, clutching tightly at his coat as she buried her face in his jumper. As his arms encircled her, one around her waist and the other stroking her hair, she couldn't help but think this happened too often for her liking.

* * *

Alex stroked the Tardis lovingly as the Doctor did the same, looking deep in thought, and Rose stood by watching the two worriedly.

"Little piece of home" The Doctor commented sadly. "Better than nothing" Alex smiled reassuringly at him and he smiled softly in return.

"Is that the end of it?" Rose asked. "The time war?"

"I'm the only one left" The Doctor agreed. "I win. How about that"

"The Dalek survived, maybe some of your people did too" Rose suggested, trying to comfort him. He shot a glance at Alex before shaking his head.

"I'd know. In here" He pointed to his head. "Feels like there's no one"

"Well then. Good thing I'm not going anywhere" Rose smiled.

"Nor me" Alex agreed. The Doctor smiled in return at the two.

"Yeah" He spoke softly. Adam jogged over and as Alex looked up someone else caught her eye.

"I'll be right back" She told the Doctor over her shoulder, not taking her eyes of the man. She walked quickly off before he could respond.

"What're you still doing here?" She asked quickly. "Aren't they gonna seal this place off?" The boy nodded, voicing an affirmative as he glanced over her shoulder.

"I just had to make sure you and your friends were safe" He told her. She smiled softly at him.

"We're fine" She assured him. After the situation of the last time she saw him she really took him in this time. He wasn't incredibly short, but she had an inch or so on him. He had hazel brown hair brushed in one direction across his forehead which brought out his brown eyes. He was pretty skinny with slim shoulders but nowhere near the 'matchstick man' Ten was. Nevertheless, he reminded her of that particular regeneration. Maybe with less hair product.

"And what're you gonna do now?" She asked him. He gave a small shrug.

"Study, research, this and that. Sciencey stuff" He listed off. Alex grinned. Yeah, definitely Ten, only shorter.

"I'm sure you'll be fine" She assured him. "Hold on, I've just realised, I don't even know your name"

"Huxley" He told her. "Arthur Huxley" Alex gave him a friendly grin.

"Nice to meet you Arthur" She told him, sticking her hand out with over-enthusiasm. "Alexandria Collins" He laughed and shook her hand.

"Just so you know, I'll be looking you up, Collins" He said teasingly.

"Oh I'm counting on it, Huxley" She laughed in return.

"Alex!" The Doctor called, making her turn. She gave him a 'one moment' gesture and took one last look at the boy before her. He made an 'I'm watching you' gesture and she replied with her classic two-fingered salute. The two parted ways without another word but Alex gave him one last grin as she ducked into the Tardis, closing the door behind her and the boy stood and watched the Tardis disappear.

* * *

"Alex"

Alex sighed, closing her eyes. She recognised that voice. It was somewhere between his serious voice and his concerned voice.

"Yes?" She asked innocently, not turning away from her book. The Doctor moved to sit at the library table across from her.

"Alex" He repeated. She paused and slowly closed the book, placing it beside her but still not meeting his eyes. He remained silent for a moment and she glanced up, only to fix her gaze on the table again at the worried look in his eyes. He sighed.

"What was the Dalek talking about, 'you asked to die'?" He asked straight out. Alex winced, closing her eyes again. "Alex" He pressed. She took another moment before answering.

"It was just after you thought I'd died, on the other side of the bulkhead" She explained slowly and quietly. "It hadn't shot me, and I started yelling. I went a little too far, I wasn't thinking. Before I knew it I was shouting at it to kill me"

"Why?" He pressed.

"Why not?" She shot back, her voice cold as she looked up at him, this time meeting his gaze unflinchingly. "I know everything that's going to happen and I've done nothing to help. I'm absolutely useless and scared all the time and it was my fault that Dalek got out in the first place. I-"

"Stop it" The Doctor snapped, shocking her at the harshness of his voice. "You are not useless, and don't you ever push yourself to die like that ever again you hear me?" She didn't answer, lowering her eyes again. There was a moment of silence.

"Alex" He spoke again, softer this time as he moved to stand beside her. He pulled her chair out from the table so he could crouch down in front of her, taking her hands. "I don't know what I'd do without you. Please, promise me you'll not put yourself in danger on purpose again" She nodded slowly.

"I promise" She whispered. "But I need to know something"

"Yes?"

"What happened to me in the cage?"

She saw him hesitate but she wasn't about to back down.

"Please Doctor, does it have to do with the…" She didn't finish the sentence, but she didn't have to.

"Yes" He admitted.

"Do you know who it is?"

"Yes"

A pause.

"Are you going to tell me?"

"No"


	15. Wrong Tech, Wrong Time

Alex stepped out of the Tardis first, glancing around as the Doctor joined her with Rose shortly behind.

"Okay" She spoke quietly as Rose closed the door behind them. "So, it's the year 200,000"

"It's a spaceship" The Doctor added.

"No, space station"

"Space station, right"

"And maybe…"

"Try that gate over there"

"Right, good"

"Off you go"

The two moved back to lean against the Tardis with arms crossed. Rose nodded, thinking over the information for a second.

"200,000?" She double checked.

"200,000" Alex confirmed, nodding. Rose opened the door, poking her head in.

"Adam? Out you come" She called, stepping back as Adam left the Tardis, his mouth hanging open in shock. Alex hadn't been happy to find out he'd been let on, but she knew the Doctor just wanted to make Rose happy and Rose herself didn't know any better. Maybe if she hadn't been talking to Arthur when Adam met them at the Tardis… Well, no use thinking about things that have already happened, think about what's going to happen. Adam's first trip, the big words for 'Level 139' meant The Long Game. Which meant Satellite Five. Great. She never liked this episode much, it'd be harder to remember.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it" Rose was telling Adam.

"Where are we?" He asked, still looking around them.

"Good question" Rose nodded. Alex bit her lip to keep from laughing. That girl could do a great Doctor impression when the occasion called for it. "Let's see. So, um, judging by the architecture, I'd say we're around the year 200,000" Adam nodded along, still looking around but glancing at Rose as she talked.

"If you listen…" She continued, making Adam stop as if he was listening for something. "Engines" She nodded. "We're on some sort of space station. Yep, definitely a space station" Alex and the Doctor shared a glance, both grinning at the girl.

"It's a bit warm in here" Rose commented. "They could turn the heating down… tell you what, let's try that gate, come on" She started off, Adam following her like a lost puppy. Alex stopped the Doctor for a second, leaning up slightly to whisper to him.

"Is this like Rose's companion?" She asked, still staring after the two. The Doctor seemed to think a moment before nodded.

"Yeah, yeah I suppose it is" He agreed, starting off with Alex following him like Adam did Rose. They found themselves in an observation deck and Alex grinned the moment she saw it, rushing over to the glass before Rose or Adam even got there. The Doctor and Rose both smiled fondly at the girl as she stood pressed against the glass, her hand up beside her head as she looked down with a grin on her face.

"Here we go!" Rose announced, Adam still making his way down, holding onto the railings for support. "And this is…" She paused a moment, stopping behind Alex to look down herself. "I'll let the Doctor describe it" She finished lamely, not knowing what to say.

"The Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire" Alex spoke up, her grin clear in her voice as she stepped back slightly to stand beside Rose. The Doctor joined her on the other side, sending her a grin of his own before continuing.

"And there it is. Planet Earth at its height. Covered with megacities, five moons"

"How did it get the other four moons?" Alex asked, looking up at him.

"I'll tell you later" He promised. She nodded, returning her gaze to the planet below. "Population 96 billion" He continued. "The hub of a galactic domain, stretching across a million planets, a million species with mankind right in the middle"

Adam fainted behind the three. None of them bothered to turn around.

"He's your boyfriend" The Doctor aimed at Rose.

"Not anymore" Rose replied.

Alex laughed.

* * *

"Come on Adam, open your mind" The Doctor encouraged. He was walking between the boy and Rose with his arms over their shoulders. Alex glanced at them from her spot beside Rose, feeling left out. She knew she shouldn't feel that way, the Doctor was meant to love Rose as far as she knew. But she wasn't about to comment on it. Any and all thoughts of or attempts at love in her life so far had completely and utterly fallen apart in one way or another.

"You're gonna like this fantastic period of history" The Doctor continued, unaware of Alex's thinking. "The human race at its most intelligent; culture, art politics. This era has got fine food, good manners-"

"Out of the way" A man snapped, pushing past the group. Alex snorted in amusement as the space around them suddenly came to life. Every single person pushed and shoved their way through and one glance at the food truck that opened beside them showed it was not 'fine food'. The Doctor glanced down at her, his shocked expression enough to set her off laughing. Rose examined the food nearby for a moment before turning back to the Doctor.

"Find cuisine?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. The Doctor looked around with a frown.

"That, right there, is the very definition of irony" Alex giggled, shaking her head at him.

"My watch must be wrong" He theorised, checking it. He frowned again as he looked up. "No, it's fine… weird"

"That's what comes of showing off" Rose told him.

"Your history's not as good as you thought it was" Alex finished with a teasing grin. Rose frowned at her.

"Oh, I see what he means, that is creepy" She commented. Alex laughed, knowing she was just about to say those words.

"My history's perfect" The Doctor insisted.

"Well obviously not" The girls spoke in unison.

"They're all human" Adam pointed out, not paying attention to what Alex was doing. "What about the millions of planets? Millions of species? Where are those?"

"Good question" The Doctor nodded before actually realised what he said was true. "Actually, that is a good question" His thinking face disappeared quickly as he put an arm around Adam's shoulders. "Adam 'me old mate. You must be starving"

"No, I'm just a bit time sick" He protested as the Doctor led him off to the food truck. Alex sighed, running a hand down her face.

"What's wrong?" Rose asked, looking at her worriedly.

"Nothing" Alex shook her head, before groaning in annoyance. "No, it's not nothing. It's… I don't really remember this one"

"You remembered my bit" She pointed out. Alex smiled at her.

"You always had the best lines though"

Rose grinned proudly as the Doctor walked past them, mumbling about a cash point. The two followed him and Adam as he used the sonic on what looked like an ATM machine. A metal strip slid out and the Doctor grabbed up the futuristic credit card, handing it to Adam.

"There you go, pocket money" He declared. "Don't spend it all on sweets" He turned to leave but no one followed.

"Unless you like sweets" Alex added, making him turn back to frown at her. "I like sweets" She shrugged.

"How does it work?" Adam asked, examining the object in his hands.

"Go and find out" The Doctor told him. "Stop nagging me! The thing is Adam, time travel's like visiting Paris. You can't just read the guide book, you've got to throw yourself in. Eat the food, use the wrong verbs, get changed double and end up kissing complete strangers" Rose laughed as Alex mouthed along the last line. "Or is that just me? Stop asking questions, go on, do it!" He shooed the younger boy away, Rose beginning to follow but hesitating as she glanced at Alex.

"Go on then, your first date" The Doctor teased.

"You're going to get a smack you are" Rose pointed a finger at him, even while grinning. The Doctor simply grinned in return, which faded into his thoughtful look as he glanced around.

"Time for some investigation?" Alex asked, smiling hopefully. He smiled back at her before moving to stop two women who were walking past.

"Erm… this is gonna sound daft. But can you tell me where we are?" He asked

"Floor 139" The darker skinned girl told them, gesturing to the giant numbers painted on the wall. "Could they write it any bigger?"

"Floor 139 of what?" The Doctor continued.

"Must've been one hell of a party"

"You're on Satellite Five" The younger girl told them, smiling in a welcoming way.

"What's Satellite Five?"

"Come on, how could you get on board without knowing where you are?" The first girl asked, looking between the two disbelievingly.

"Look at us, we're stupid" Alex said simply, gesturing mostly to the Doctor.

"Hang on, wait a minute, are you a test?" The kinder girl asked, looking like she'd just figured something out. "Some sort of management test kind of thing?"

"You've got me" The Doctor nodded, acting like he was relenting the fact.

"Well done" Alex nodded.

"Too clever for us"

The Doctor showed them the psychic paper.

"We were warned about this is basic training" The younger girl remembered. "All workers have to be versed in company promotion"

"Right. Fire away. Ask your questions" The other woman told them impatiently. "If it gets me to floor 500 I'll do anything"

"Why, what happens on floor 500?" The Doctor asked first.

"The walls are made of gold" She told them, like it should be obvious. Alex froze, trying her best to not let her shock show on the outside. Floor 500, how could she forget something like that? "And you should know" She looked over the way Alex and the Doctor were standing so close together. "Mr and Mrs Management" Alex's eyes widened and her mouth fell open in shock as she glanced up at the Doctor, who was doing the same.

"No… no we're- we're really not-"

"So, this is what we do" The woman led them over to a wall covered in screens and Alex followed hesitantly behind the Doctor, her head hung low to let her hair fall forward and hopefully cover her blush. She listened to the woman pointing out the news stories but frowned when she heard about the Face of Boe apparently being pregnant. She'd have to ask the Doctor about that later.

"I get it, you broadcast the news" The Doctor summarized.

"We _are_ the news" She corrected. The younger woman smiled nervously at them and they both smiled back.

"We're the journalists" The other woman continued. "We write it, package it and sell it. 600 channels all coming out of Satellite Five, broadcasting everywhere. Nothing happens in the whole human empire without it going through us" Movement caught Alex's eyes and she looked up right into a security camera. She stared at it unblinkingly as her mind raced. That camera was looking at them. As always, whoever was in charge was interested by the mysterious Doctor. And that never ended well.

An alarm blared suddenly, breaking Alex from her thoughts as she looked to the Doctor. He gestured for her to follow as they moved to stand at the edge of the clearing crowd. Alex looked around as the food stalls closed and people rushed to get back to work, finally spotting Rose and Adam sitting at a table together.

"Oi! Mutt and Jeff! Over here!" The Doctor called. Alex shook her head, rolling her eyes in amusement at the man beside her. She watched then, suddenly turning serious as Adam paused before slipping Rose's phone in his pocket, then resuming to follow her over. She took another look up at the camera, not noticing they were moving until someone grabbed her hand. She flinched slightly, her head snapping around to see the Doctor watching her worriedly.

"You alright?" He asked. She paused before nodding.

"Yeah, fine" She told him. He gave a nod and started off to follow the others, tugging on her hand to take her with him. She glanced behind them once more before properly following him.

They walked into a clean white room and Alex made a displeased face at the color. There was a raised octagonal platform in the middle with what looked like a futuristic dentist's chair in the middle of that. The staff sat cross-legged at each of the sides in front of panels with divots in the shape of hand prints. There was a metal barrier around the raised platform by the door and Alex wandered over to it, leaning on it so she could take a closer look at the technology the workers were sitting in front of.

The Doctor came to stand beside her and Rose stood on her other side with Adam beside her. The older of the two women was standing in the middle to address the room.

"Now, everybody behave. We have a management inspection" She told the other workers before turning to the Doctor. "How do you want it? By the book?"

"Oh, right from scratch, thanks" The Doctor told her, nodding with a smile. She turned away and Alex glanced between the Doctor and Rose, all three of them grinning at each other.

"Okay, so, ladies, gentlemen, multisex, undecided or robot, my name is Cathica Santini Kadainy. That's Cathica with a 'C', in case you want to write to floor 500 praising me. And please do. Now please feel free to ask any questions. The process of news gathering should be open, honest and non-biased. That's company policy" She looked back at the Doctor and Co, giving them a smile.

"Actually, it's the law" The younger girl, Suki, spoke up, giving the group her own hesitant smile. Alex and the Doctor gave their own friendly smiles in return.

"Yes, thank you Suki" Cathica snapped, irritated. "Okay, keep it calm. Don't show off for the guests, here we go" She sat down in the chair, leaning back. "And… engage safety" The staff held their hands over the panels and each of the eight walls lit up as they did, making the group to the side look around. Cathica clicked her fingers and a little door in her head opened up. The Doctor looked mildly disgusted while Rose stared in shock and Adam leaned forward to get a closer look. Alex, well she was trying not to throw up as she moved to bury her face in the side of the Doctor's jacket. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, holding her close. The staff around the side all put their hands into the panels and closed their eyes.

"And 3… 2… and spike"

"Compressed information, streaming into her" The Doctor explained. "Reports from every city, every country, every planet. They all get packaged inside her head. She becomes part of the software. Her brain is the computer"

"If it all goes through her she must be a genius" Rose commented.

"No, she doesn't remember any of it" Alex shook her head, pulling away from the Doctor but pointedly looking anywhere but Cathica. "There's too much of it, her head would blow up. She simply stores it" The Doctor gave Alex one last glance before he started pacing around the room, marking out a circle around the octagon. Rose followed him as he walked but Alex stood where she was, her arms wrapped around herself uncomfortably.

"Her brain's the processer, as soon as it closes, she forgets" The Doctor told them, examining the equipment.

"So, what about all these people around the edge?" Rose asked, gesturing to them.

"They've all got tiny little chips in their heads connecting them to her and they transmit 600 channels" The Doctor explained as Rose leaned down for a closer look at one. "Every single fact in the empire beams out of this place" Alex climbed up and swung her legs over the railing, sitting on top with her hands on either side of her to remain steady. The Doctor completed his circle and came to stand beside her on the opposite side to where Adam still stood. "Now that's what I call power" He commented.

"You alright?" Rose asked Adam, stopping beside the Doctor.

"I can see her brain" He said in response. Alex grimaced, having been trying to forget that fact. She looked upwards to keep from looking at the woman in the middle and her eyes caught on another security camera. She narrowed her eyes on it. She could swear that thing was watching her, and it was freaking her out.

"Do you want to get out?" Rose asked the boy beside her. He shook his head.

"No… no, this is technology, it's… it's amazing"

"This technology's wrong" Alex and the Doctor spoke at once. Adam blinked in surprise at them while Rose gave a flicker of a smile. The two themselves didn't even acknowledge what they'd just done, Alex focussing on the security camera while the Doctor focussed on Cathica and the piece of technology streaming the information into her head.

"Trouble?" Rose asked, sounding intrigued. The Doctor and Alex both turned to her, Alex grinning happily.

"Oh, yeah" The Doctor told her, smiling himself. Rose raised an amused eyebrow at Alex.

"You could be less happy about it" She teased the girl, who simply laughed.

"So could you" She pointed out. The girls laughed and the Doctor chuckled to himself, watching them fondly while Adam watched the scene, looking confused as to what was actually happening.

Suki suddenly pulled her hands away from her panel with a gasp, like she'd had an electric shock. Alex sat up straighter as the rest of the staff removed their hands as well, making the walls dim again and Cathica's head closed. Suki was rubbing her hands together, breathing heavier than normal as Cathica turned to her.

"Come off it, Suki" She complained. "I wasn't even halfway, what was that for?"

"Sorry, must've been a glitch" Suki responded sheepishly, refusing to look at her. Cathica stood to say something else but Alex spoke up before she could.

"I doubt Suki would have messed it up on purpose though, would you?" She asked, seethingly at Cathica then softer towards Suki, who shook her head quickly. Alex gave the older woman a pointed look, not missing the Doctor smiling from beside her. Before she could respond however, one of the walls lit up with a screen and an electronic voice split through the air.

'Promotion' The voice said over the loudspeaker. Cathica seemed to forget all about Alex and Suki as she turned to face the screen, crossing her fingers and mumbling under her breath as she prayed to be the one to get the promotion.

'Promotion for… Suki Macrae Cantrell'

The words lit up on the screen along with the voice and Suki's mouth dropped open in shock while Cathica looked physically wounded.

'Please proceed to floor 500'

Alex felt her entire being tense as she froze, staring at the screen. _No…_ No one survived going to floor 500, that much she remembered. But how could she save the girl without making anyone incredibly suspicious ahead of time? Did she have to let her die? She wasn't sure she even could. She hadn't noticed she'd missed part of a conversation or that time had passed at all. She hadn't registered the Doctor moving to stand in front of her, talking to her until his hands fell on her shoulders.

Alex snapped out of her thoughts so quickly and forcefully that she fell forward off the bar she had been sitting on and would've hit the ground face-first if the Doctor wasn't holding her. Her mind hadn't managed to catch up and she found herself instinctively trying to fight away from him. All she knew was that someone was holding her when no one had been before, and she didn't like it.

"Alex stop! Alex, look, it's me" The Doctor told her quickly, his voice registering in her head. It was the Doctor, she was safe with the Doctor. She stopped moving abruptly and looked up, her wide eyes meeting his. "It's me, see?" He added quietly, knowing that little joke of theirs would always manage to calm her down. She managed a shaky smile before she righted herself, suddenly looking like nothing had ever been wrong as she glanced around.

The room was a lot emptier than it had been but she quickly looked away when she met the shocked gazes of the other two occupants in the room. She simply strode past them out the door, missing their concerned glances at one another as they followed.

 _What the hell is wrong with me…?_

* * *

 **So I've come to a realization that I'm up to 14 (now 15) chapters and still have not put up a cover for this story. Trouble is, I don't have photoshop or anything reliable, so I could either try to make one myself (which might end up taking a while anyway) or someone could make one for me if there's no trouble? I mean, if one of you would like to (with full credit of course) Leave a review or message me if you're interested and I'll tell you who I was thinking as the image of Alex. Thanks ahead of time to anyone who wants to. Of course you don't have to want to make a cover for me to review...** **¯\\_(ツ)_/¯**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed, ciao.**


	16. Somewhere is Snows

Alex stood back, her back pressed to the wall as the rest said goodbye to Suki by the lift. She tried to reason that it had to happen, who knows what would change if she saved the girl? Alex looked between Suki and Adam, trying to quickly decide what to do for both situations. Before she even thought of a plan she found herself walking over to Suki as her and the Doctor hugged.

"Can't forget about you!" She cried happily, pulling Alex into a warm happy hug. Alex hugged her back but leaned down slightly to whisper in her ear. Suki pulled away slowly, frowning at her. Alex's face was expressionless and Suki gave her a hesitant smile, which became less forced as she got one in return. Suki gave a minute shake of her head, but continued to smile as if she hadn't been told anything at all.

Alex waited beside the Doctor, barely paying attention to the man, until Rose returned, leaving Adam alone a bit away. She didn't look at either of her friends as she walked over to him, determined to do something first. He looked up as she reached him and smiled hesitantly.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked, actually sounding concerned. Alex leaned down close so only he could hear her, whispering to him. He looked at her, trying to remain calm, as she pulled away. She was expressionless once again, simply staring at him. She waited until he nodded quickly, nodding once to him in return before turning and walking away.

She re-joined the Doctor, grinning at him as if she hadn't just done what she had. She fell into step beside him as he grinned in return.

"Hi!" She said happily.

"Hello!" He returned.

"Find anything out?" She asked, glancing at Cathica, who they were following at the moment and then Rose, who was walking on the Doctor's other side.

"Well, people who go to floor 500 apparently don't come back" He told her, lowering his voice slightly. Alex frowned a little.

"People who don't come back down, oh that's never good" She mumbled under her breath. The four of them found themselves in the clean white room from before and Cathica seemed a bit fed up when they continued to follow her.

"Look, they only give us twenty minutes maintenance, can't you give it a rest?" She huffed.

"But you've never been to another floor?" The Doctor clarified. "Not even one floor down?" He sat down on the chair in the middle of the room, both girls leaning on the back of it.

"I went to floor 16 when I first arrived, that's medical, that's where I got my head done. And then I- I came straight here. Satellite Five you work, eat and sleep on the same floor. That's it, that's all" She explained, eyeing the group suspiciously. "You're not management, are you?"

"At last!" Alex exclaimed, although there was no hint of irritation in her voice, she was even grinning.

"She's clever" The Doctor added, nodding.

"Yeah well, whatever it is, don't involve me. I don't know anything" Cathica insisted.

"Don't you even ask?" The Doctor questioned.

"Why should I?"

"You _are_ a journalist" Alex pointed out with a tilt of her head.

"Why's all the crew human?" The Doctor asked, making her frown.

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"There's no aliens on board? Why?" He pressed.

"I don't know" She shrugged. "There's no real reason, they're not banned or anything" The Doctor looked around the room as if he was searching for anything right in that moment.

"Then where are they?" He asked again, coupled with a questioning eyebrow raised by Alex. Cathica blinked, stumped for a moment.

"I suppose immigration's tightened up" She tried. "I mean it's had to, what with all the threats"

"What threats?"

"I don't know" She shrugged, looking lost now. "All of them, the usual stuff. And the price of space warp doubled so that kept the visitors away. Oh, and the government on Traffic Five's collapsed, so that lot stopped coming. You see, just lots of little reasons, that's all" Although she began to sound more and more unsure.

"I see" Alex nodded.

"All adding up to one big fact" The Doctor summarised. "And you didn't even notice"

"Doctor, I think if there was any kind of conspiracy, Satellite Five would've seen it" Cathica scoffed.

"Unless they were behind the conspiracy" Alex pointed out, making the other woman frown.

"I see better" The Doctor shot back before she could question the girl. "This society's the wrong shape, even the technology"

"It's cutting edge!" Cathica protested.

"Maybe 90 years ago" Alex jumped in. "When was the last time you saw any changes in the technology, hmm?" Cathica frowned, thinking.

"There's a great big door in your head. You should've chucked this out years ago" The Doctor continued.

"So what do you think is going on?" Rose asked, looking between her friends with the answers.

"It's not just this space station, it's the whole attitude. The way people think. The great and bountiful human empire's stunted" The Doctor explained. "Something's holding it back"

"And how would _you_ know?" Cathica asked, crossing her arms almost defensively.

"Trust us" The Doctor told her, making Alex look down at him. _Us?_ "Humanity's been set back about 90 years, when did Satellite Five start broadcasting?"

"91 years ago…"

* * *

"We're so gonna get in trouble" Cathica complained. Again. Alex was currently leaning against the wall beside the panel the Doctor was messing with, Rose standing beside her. She'd looked over his shoulder the first few minutes but quickly realised she didn't understand a thing he was doing. _Stupid human brain, stupid 21_ _st_ _century knowledge, stupid me…_

"You're not allowed to touch the mainframe, you're gonna told off"

"Alex, tell her to button it" The Doctor said idly, still working. Alex rolled her eyes and tipped her head to look at the woman.

"Shut up" She said simply. Cathica blinked in surprise. The Doctor tugged the door open to get to the wiring.

"This is nothing to do with me, I'm going back to work" Cathica declared, turning to leave.

"Go on then!" The Doctor called as she left.

"Bye!" Alex added, still staring at the ceiling. Cathica stopped, turning back to them.

"Well I can't just leave you can I?" She huffed.

"If you wanna be useful, get 'em to turn the heating down, it's boiling" Rose told her. "What's wrong with this place? Can't they do anything about it?"

"I don't know, we keep asking, something to do with the turbine" Cathica told them with a shrug.

"'Something to do with the turbine'" Alex and the Doctor mocked in synch.

"Well I don't know!"

"Exactly" The Doctor snapped. "I give up on you Cathica! Now, Rose, look at Rose. Rose is asking the right kinds of questions"

"Oh, thank you" Rose grinned proudly.

"Why is it so hot?" The Doctor finished, staring at the woman almost as if he actually expected an answer.

"One minute you're worried about the empire and the next it's the central heating!" Cathica pointed out, annoyed.

"Well, never underestimate plumbing, plumbing's very important" Alex mumbled along with the Doctor. She slid down to the floor, looking up as the Doctor accidentally snapped a bunch of wires. She smiled, shaking her head as she lowered her head, closing her eyes with a sigh.

"You alright?" The Doctor asked, leaning closer to her slightly. Alex nodded but didn't open her eyes.

"Don't like it when it's hot" She mumbled. "'S rubbish" The Doctor smiled fondly at her, patting her head until she batted him away.

"Shouldn't be too much longer, then we can go to someplace where it snows" He promised her, proud of himself when he saw her smile at the thought.

"Here we go" The Doctor announced a time later, making Alex look up. His eyes were fixed on the screen but he glanced down a moment when he saw her move. "Satellite Five, pipes and plumbing. Take a look at the layout" Alex stood, looking over his shoulder even as he moved to let Cathica in front of him to see.

"This is ridiculous" She told him. "You've got access to the computer's core. You can look at the archive, the news, the stock exchange… and you're looking at pipes?" She turned back to him, looking equal parts annoyed and bemused.

"Stocks are boring" Alex waved off. "This doesn't look right though" She pointed out, frowning at the screen. Cathica turned back to the screen.

"I suppose…" She admitted, looking it over.

"Why, what is it?" Rose asked, not understanding anything on the screen. Alex looked down, not wanting to admit she had no idea.

"The ventilation system, cooling ducts, ice filters, all working flat out" Cathica explained, frowning. "Channelling massive amounts of heat down" She looked up at the ceiling like she might be able to see whatever it was.

"All the way from the top" The Doctor added.

"Floor 500" Rose said lastly. Alex moved away from the group, standing on the other side of the lift and looking out at the mostly empty cafeteria as she crossed her arms over her chest. Honestly. She was going to have to get used to understanding technology better.

The Doctor rushed over to grab her hand as he and Rose stepped into the lift and Alex couldn't help but smile at his obvious enthusiasm to go and investigate.

"Come on, come with us" Rose encouraged, gesturing for Cathica to join them.

"No way!" She shook her head.

"Bye!" The Doctor waved, smiling. Alex looked up at him and couldn't help but laugh slightly, he was just too cute. He grinned down at her, happy that she was happy.

"Well don't mention my name!" Cathica told them, still looking apprehensive. "When you get in trouble, just don't involve me" She turned to stalk off, leaving the trio alone.

"Well that's her gone. Adam's given up, looks like it's just the three of us" The Doctor told them happily.

"Yeah" Rose agreed. Alex simply nodded.

"Good" The Doctor grinned.

"Yep" Rose added.

"Awesome" Alex nodded again.

The Doctor activated the controls, grabbing the girls' hands in each of his as the doors closed.

The Doctor looked out first as the lift doors opened but Alex could already notice one thing.

"The walls are not made of gold" She pointed out, stepping out beside him.

"You two should go back downstairs" The Doctor told them.

"Tough" Rose said simply, walking out into floor 500. Alex snorted in almost amusement as she followed her. The Doctor stared after the girls for a moment before following.

They soon found themselves in what looked like the main room of floor 500, a row of people working at computers with screens covering the wall in front of them. One man stood behind them, looking at some of the monitors.

"I started without you" He commented, turning to the three. "This is fascinating. Satellite Five contains each and every piece of information in the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. Birth certificates, shopping habits, bank statements… but you three! You don't exist!" None of them moved or said a word, simply staring at him. He laughed. "Not a trace! No birth, no job, not the slightest kiss. How can you walk through the world and not leave a single footprint?"

"Lightly" Alex quipped despite the fact that she was now almost shivering. Rose rushed forward suddenly, catching Alex's attention as she stopped beside Suki. Her mouth fell open in shock and she felt tears sting her eyes. She hadn't saved her, she hadn't done anything. Suki was dead.

"She's working…" Rose pointed out when the Doctor told her as such.

"They've all got chips in their head. And the chips keep going, like puppets" The Doctor explained, his hand finding Alex's as she started shaking in the cold.

"Ooh, you're full of information!" The man laughed happily. "But it's only fair we get some back because, apparently, you're no one" The Doctor simply nodded.

"It's rare not to know something" The man continued. "Who are you?"

"It doesn't matter, 'cause we're off. Nice to meet you" He looked over at Rose then. "Come on" He called. Alex cried out as the two of them were grabbed harshly by some of the frozen people, their hands being pulled apart. Rose tried to move over to them but the body that was once Suki grabbed her wrist, stopping her.

"Tell me who you are!" The man insisted.

"Well since that information's keeping us alive, I'm hardly gonna say, am I?" The Doctor returned.

"Well perhaps my Editor in Chief can convince you otherwise" The man smiled.

"And who's that?"

"It might interest you to know that this is not the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. In fact, it's actually not human at all. It is merely a place where humans happen to live" There was an angry roar from somewhere and the man decided to correct himself. "Yeah, sorry. It's a place where humans are _allowed_ to live by kind permission of my client" He snapped his fingers and pointed upwards at the ceiling, making the three look up. Alex's mouth fell open at the sheer size of the moving blob of alien. Its huge mouth opened with a roar that showed long pointy teeth.

"What is that?" Rose asked nervously.

"You mean, that thing's in charge of Satellite Five?" The Doctor asked, still staring up at it.

"I think he means it's in charge of the human race" Alex corrected.

"For almost a hundred years, mankind has been shaped and guided, his knowledge and ambition strictly controlled by its broadcast news. Edited by my superior, your master, and humanity's guiding light, the mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxarodnefoe"

The Jagrafess roared down at them all.

"I call him Max" The man grinned.

* * *

The three of them were restrained in cuffs in front of them, wired into the computers themselves. Alex was looking around, whispering under her breath as she tried to work out exactly where it was connected and how they might get out. The man running the whole thing, the Editor, as he called himself, was rambling on to the Doctor but Alex wasn't paying attention until Rose spoke up.

"So all the people on earth are like, slaves" She clarified.

"Well now, that's an interesting point" The Editor seemed happy to answer. "Is a slave a slave if he doesn't know he's enslaved?"

"Yes" Alex and the Doctor said in unison, the former finally focussing on the man in front of them.

"Oh, I was hoping for a philosophical debate. Is that all I'm going to get, yes?"

"Yes"

The Editor laughed at the pair.

"You're no fun" he complained.

"Let me out of these manacles, you'll find out how much fun I am" The Doctor threatened.

"Oh, he's tough, isn't he?" The Editor mocked. "But come on. Isn't it a great system? You've got to admire it, just a little bit"

"You can't hide something on this scale" Rose pointed out. "Somebody must've noticed"

"From time to time, someone, yes. But the computer system allows me to see inside their brain. I can see the smallest doubt, and crush it. And then they just carry on, living their life. Strutting about downstairs and all over the surface of the earth like they're so individual"

Alex spotted Cathica standing in the back of the room, still hidden by the shadows and she knew the Doctor had too. But the Editor just kept on talking, not noticing a thing.

"When of course, they're not. They're just cattle. In that respect the Jagrafess hasn't changed a thing"

"What about you?" Rose asked him. "You're not a Jagra… uh… a…"

"Jagrafess" The Doctor supplied for her.

"Jagrafess" She nodded. "You're not a Jagrafess, you're human"

"Yeah well, simply being human doesn't pay very well"

"But you couldn't have done all this on your own"

"No!" The Editor grinned, looking absolutely delighted to share with someone. "I represent a consortium of banks. Money prefers a long-term investment. Plus, the Jagrafess needed a little hand to uh… install himself"

"No wonder, a creature that size" The Doctor agreed. "What's his life span?"

"Three thousand years"

"That's one hell of a metabolism generating all that heat" The Doctor continued. "That's why Satellite Five's so hot. You pump it out of the creature, channel it downstairs. Jagrafess stays cool, it stays alive. Satellite Five's one great big life support system"

"But _that's_ why you're so dangerous" The Editor clarified. "Knowledge is power, but you remain unknown" He gave a small laugh and clicked his fingers and electric shocks were being sent through the three. Alex gasped in pain but bit back any more sound.

"Who are you?"

"Leave them alone" The Doctor snapped. "I'm the Doctor, she's Rose Tyler and she's Alex Collins. We're nothing, we're just wandering"

"Tell me who you are!"

"I just said!"

"Yeah but who do you work for? Who sent you? Who knows about us? Who exactly-" He stopped suddenly. Alex frowned at him before he smiled.

"Time Lord" He said suddenly. Alex's eyes widened.

"What?" The Doctor asked, not understanding how he could possibly know.

"Oh yes! The last of the Time Lords in his travelling machine. Oh, with his little human girl from so long ago…" He reached out to touch Rose's face gently and Alex tugged at her cuffs even as Rose pulled away quickly. "And you, the little anomaly" He turned to Alex then on the Doctor's other side. "So far from human, and yet no knowledge of what you really are"

"You don't know what you're talking about" The Doctor accused. "Someone's been telling you lies"

"Young master Adam Mitchell?" The Editor snapped his fingers, bringing up a hologram of Adam sitting in one of the big white chairs, yelling in pain with a hole in his head. Alex growled lowly. She told him, she did. And he ignored her.

"Oh my god his head!" Rose cried.

"What's he done?" The Doctor stared in disbelief. "What the hell's he gone and done? They're reading his mind, he's telling them everything!"

"And through him, I know everything about you" The Editor continued. "Every piece of information in his head is now mine. And you have infinite knowledge Doctor. The Human Empire is tiny compared to what you've seen in your T-A-R-D-I-S, Tardis"

"You'll never get your hands on it. I'll die first" The Doctor swore.

"Die all you like" The Editor shrugged. "I've got the key" Alex's eyes widened as the Tardis key floated up out of Adam's pocket, dangling in front of his face. She silently cursed herself, thinking she should have taken the key instead of what she had done.

"You and your boyfriends!" The Doctor snapped, looking over at Rose.

"Today we are the headlines" The Editor spoke. "We can re-write history, prevent mankind from ever developing"

"And no one's gonna stop you. Because you've bred a human race that doesn't bother to ask questions. Stupid little slaves, believing every lie. They'll just trot right into the slaughterhouse if they're told it's made of gold"

An alarm went off suddenly and Alex looked around, trying to find the source before she realised Cathica was gone.

"What's happening?" The Editor demanded, looking around also. "Someone's disengaged the safety" He realised. He clicked his fingers, frowning at the image that popped up of Cathica sitting in one of those white rooms. "Who's that?"

"It's Cathica!" Rose realised, beaming.

"Cathica with a 'C'" Alex added, grinning as well.

"And she's thinking. She's using what she knows!" The Doctor grinned.

"Terminate her access" The Editor ordered the people at the computers. Some of the icicles began to melt and Alex looked up with her grin still in place.

"Everything I told her about Satellite Five, the pipes, the filters. She's reversing it!" The Doctor exclaimed happily. "It's getting hot"

"I said, terminate" The Editor growled, putting his hand over Suki's. "Burn her mind"

"Oh no you don't" Hologram Cathica stated. "You should have promoted me _years_ back" All the screens suddenly exploded with a shower of sparks and Alex made an undignified squeaking noise as she tried to duck away from it slightly, even being the furthest from them. The bodies fell to the floor and the entire Satellite shuddered as Rose's manacles clicked undone. Alex found only her left hand had gotten out and began frantically tugging to get out.

"She's venting the heat up here" The Doctor told them. "The Jagrafess needs to stay cool and now it's sitting on top of a volcano" The Jagrafess is roaring violently by now, the Doctor laughing. Rose got out of her manacles and pulled the sonic screwdriver from the Doctor's coat, looking at it with a frown.

"What do I do?" She asked nervously.

"Flick the switch!" The Doctor told her quickly. Rose gets the sonic screwdriver working and manages to free the Doctor. He quickly opened the last cuff holding Alex in place and pulled her out after him.

"Oi mate" He called to the Editor. "Wanna bank on a certainty? Massive heat in a massive body, massive bang! See you in the headlines!" With that, he took the girls' hands in each of his again and made a run for it. They entered the white room where Cathica was, after dodging falling ice and snow from all over floor 500. The Doctor clicked his fingers, the hole in her head closing and her eyes flicking open to see both him and Alex hovering above her. The Doctor grinned at her.

"You did it" Alex praised quietly.

* * *

Alex leaned on the bar beside Rose, her jaw clenched as she tried to ignore the blonde's hand on her arm. It was obvious to anyone that she was trying to help, to provide some form of comfort or help calm her down, but all it did was make her somehow afraid that she'd lash out at her. She thought over what she had done earlier, the things she tried to fix that weren't changed in the slightest. She tried her hardest to save Suki…

 _'I know you're suspicious of Satellite Five, and you have good reason to be. But please, don't go in. No one comes back down. Stay here'_

She hadn't listened, and she'd died. Or maybe Alex hadn't been convincing enough. Whatever the case, she was gone, and she could never come back. Another life on her head. But Adam, that was all his doing. Alex had given _him_ very clear instructions. Very clear if Alex could say so herself.

 _'Do not go through with what you're thinking, it will not end well for anyone. If you don't go back to the Tardis right now you will not like what's on the other side of the doors next time you step outside'_

She could swear she was perfectly clear.

Alex sent a sideways glance at Rose, trying to keep her expression neutral but she could tell from the way she looked back at her and removed her hand quickly from her arm that she hadn't succeeded. It was when the Doctor stood that she finally made her way over to the Tardis by his side.

"Now, don't…" Rose tried, seeing how clearly angry both of them were. One of them angry was bad enough, the other one could reign them in, but both? There would be hell to pay.

The two of them ignored Rose as they approached Adam, who suddenly looked nothing short of terrified at the sight of them both.

"I'm all right now, much better. I've got the key" He held it up, trying to reason with them. "Well it's… I know" He laughed nervously. "It all worked out for the best, didn't it?" He glanced from the Doctor to Alex and suddenly fell silent, his eyes wide in fear as he remembered exactly what she had told him. The Doctor took the key from him, grabbing his arm as he unlocked the Tardis door.

"You know, it's not actually my fault, because you-" He didn't get to finish his sentence as the Doctor opened the door and Alex shoved him inside.

* * *

Adam stepped out of the Tardis with the Doctor pushing him along, his eyes wide as he took in where he was.

"It's my house! I'm home! Oh my god, I'm home!" He turned back to the three and faltered at the glares he was receiving from two of them. The Doctor stood right in front of him, arms crossed, while Alex was behind him with Rose's hand on her shoulder. It was obvious she didn't like it but she almost looked like she would've attacked him already had it not been there.

"Blimey, I thought you were going to chuck me out of an airlock" He admitted.

"Still debating it" Alex snapped.

"Is there something else you want to tell me?" The Doctor asked impatiently.

"No, um… what do you mean?"

The Doctor walked over and picked up the answering machine.

"The archive of Satellite Five. One second of that message could have changed the world" The Doctor placed the machine back down, pulling out his sonic screwdriver and blowing up the whole phone. "That's it then, see ya" He walked back towards the Tardis.

"How do you mean, 'see ya'?" Adam asked cautiously.

"It's a figure of speech, you're never gonna see us again" Alex corrected. "Goodbye"

"But… what about me? You can't just go, I've got my head. I've got a chip type two, my head opens"

"What, like this?" The Doctor asked innocently, clicking his fingers. Adam's head opened and he glared at him.

"Don't" He snapped, clicking his fingers to fix it.

"Don't do what? This?" Alex asked with the same innocence, clicking her fingers. He clicked his fingers again to close it.

"Stop it!" He complained.

"All right now, you two, stop it, that's enough" Rose scolded them. They both glanced over at her and backed down fairly quickly.

"Thank you" Adam told her sincerely. Rose clicked her fingers suddenly, making Alex grin and his head opened up once more.

"Oi!" He complained.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist" Rose laughed.

"The whole of history could've changed because of you" The Doctor told him coldly.

"I just wanted to help" Adam tried.

"You were helping yourself" The Doctor corrected.

"And I'm sorry. I've said I'm sorry, and I am, I really am, but you can't just leave me like this"

"Yes I can, 'cos if you show that head to anyone they'll dissect you in seconds. You have to live a very quiet life. Keep out of trouble. Be average. Unseen. Good luck"

He opened the Tardis door.

"But I wanna come with you!"

"I only take the best, I've got Alex and Rose" With that, the Doctor walked inside with Alex behind him. She quickly hopped her way up the ladder to sit on the grating around the side wall. She sat against the wall with her legs pulled up to her chest, her arms hung limply over her knees. The Doctor glanced at her a few times before Rose walked in, telling them she was going to her room with a glance at Alex herself. There was a long silence before he sighed.

"It wasn't your fault you know" He told her evenly. Alex didn't respond. There was another stretch of silence before the Doctor moved again, getting halfway up the ladder before stopping. "Do you mind…?" Alex shook her head and he climbed the rest of the way up, settling beside her and pulling her to his side with an arm over her shoulders. "There wasn't really anything you could've done"

"No there wasn't" She agreed, but she didn't sound like she really believed it, unless that wasn't the problem. "I'm just a stupid little human. Not even that, I don't know what I am. I'm a nothing" She mumbled scrubbing at her face with her hands. The Doctor frowned at her, taking her hands away before she could hurt herself in her frustration

"That's not true" He told her gently.

"Then what am I?" She asked, looking up at him. She looked so lost, and for the first time he understood why everyone froze the way they did when he talked about his old friends or his home he'd lost. He hesitated, unsure if he should tell her who she really was, who was in the watch, the person he knew so well.

"You're Alex" He told her confidently. "You're fantastic, you're clever, you're funny, and you're you. You are brilliant, and nothing will change that, no matter what you do or don't do" He assured her. She sighed, resting her head on his shoulder as her eyes fell shut. She yawned silently before moving even closer to the man beside her.

"I just wish I could believe that" She whispered sadly.

"I guess I'll just have to keep telling you then, won't I?" He teased, grinning as a smile crossed her face. It didn't feel like long until her breathing levelled out and she became heavier on him. He let her stay as she was for now, eyeing the ladder distrustfully. How was he supposed to get her down and into bed without waking her now?


	17. Two Promises

**So this is the entirety of Father's Day right here, because it became probably the shortest episode in this series (except the one I originally wrote, but I may or may not post that one) mostly because I think a lot of the time in this episode was dedicated to more private conversations Alex would feel out of place in. It was very person to person on screen, so because we're focusing on the one, it became a lot shorter. Sorry 'bout that. But here you go. Hope you like, as always.**

* * *

"Alex?"

Alex rolled over with an annoyed groan, waving a hand at whoever was standing beside her bed.

"Alex, I'm taking Rose back in time, to see her father, back when he was alive" He told her, his voice sounding closer as he crouched down beside her. Her eyes flicked open to watch him as he spoke. "You can come, or you can stay here" Alex thought about it for a moment but then simply snuggled back into her blanket nest.

"Stay" She mumbled simply, closing her eyes again.

"Alright, we'll all go somewhere together later" He promised. Alex gave him a sleepy thumbs up and he left her room, closing the door quietly.

* * *

Alex opened her eyes, yawning as she rolled over in her bed. She sleepily thought back to what the Doctor had told her earlier. She was about to burrow back into her blankets when something in her mind finally clicked.

 _'I'm taking Rose back in time, to see her father, when he was alive'_

Alex jumped out of bed so quickly she nearly fell to the floor as her legs got tangled in the sheets. She freed herself and ran into the walk-in closet the Tardis had given her. She didn't really pay attention to what she was picking up, throwing on a random pair of jeans and a plaid shirt, quickly tying up a pair of converse and throwing on her army green jacket as she ran out of her room. She cursed at the sight of the empty console room, continuing her run without faltering. She heard the Tardis door close behind her and decided to remember to thank her later.

Alex realised she had no idea where she was going until she spotted another Tardis. Her breath caught and she stopped. But her other self was still inside, sleeping. That was when she saw where the Doctor and Rose were standing just ahead, peering around the corner of a brick wall. Alex's eyes widened when she saw Rose take off, running forward even as the Doctor called for her to stop. Alex ran forward herself, stopping unsteadily beside the Doctor as she watched Rose talk to a very alive Pete Tyler.

"Damnit Rose" She mumbled under her breath. Alex and The Doctor shared a look. This wasn't going to end well.

* * *

Pete let the three into the flat, placing the vase in his hand down on the table in the hall.

"There we go, sorry about the mess" He told them politely. "If you want tea, kitchen's just down there. Milk's in the fridge…well it would be wouldn't it? Where else would you put the milk? Mind you, there's always the window sill outside. I always thought if someone invented a window sill with special compartments. You know, one for milk, one for yoghurt… make a lot of money out of that. Sell it to students and things…" He went silent for a moment, thinking. "I should write that down. Anyway, never mind that, excuse me…" He disappeared off to one of the other rooms, leaving the three alone.

Rose started looking around at the things scattered about the cluttered flat while the Doctor leant on the doorframe, staring at her with his arms crossed. Alex stood beside him, looking incredibly uncomfortable. She could practically feel the anger and even betrayal radiating off him. Rose looked around, talking and pointing things out and trying not to meet either of their gazes. She turned finally to smile at the Doctor, he just stared blankly back.

"Okay, look, I'll tell him you're not my boyfriend" She assured him, seeming to hope that was his issue. Alex shook her head slightly. When the Doctor finally spoke, he sounded nothing short of incredibly suspicious.

"When we first met, I said 'travel with me in space'. Alex said yes, you said no. Then I said 'time machine'"

"It wasn't some big plan" Rose tried to tell him. "I just saw it happening and thought, I can stop it"

"I did it again" The Doctor shook his head, sounding disappointed in himself. "I picked another stupid ape" Alex flinched at those words, even though they weren't aimed at her. "I should've known. It's not about showing you the universe, it never is. It's about the universe doing something for you"

"So it's okay when you go to other times, and you save people's lives, but not when it's me saving my dad"

"I know what I'm doing, you don't" The Doctor pointed out. "Two sets of us being there made that a vulnerable point"

"But he's alive!"

"My entire planet died. My whole family. Don't you think it occurred to me to go back and save them?"

"But it's not like I've changed history. Not much. I mean… He's never gonna be a world leader, he's not gonna start world war three or something"

The Doctor took a few steps forward, trying to make her understand.

"Rose, there is a man alive in the world who wasn't before. An ordinary man. That's the most important thing in creation, the whole world's different because he's alive"

"What, would you rather him dead?" Rose asked, annoyed.

"I'm not saying that"

"No, I get it! For once you're not the most important man in my life" Rose accused.

"Let's see how you get on without me then, give me the key"

Alex's mouth dropped open in shock and she took a step forward. He couldn't really kick Rose out of the Tardis, could he?

"The Tardis key, if I'm so insignificant, give it me back" He ordered.

"Alright then, I will" Rose said simply, pulling the key out of her pocket and slapping it down in his hand.

"Well you've got what you want so that's goodbye then" The Doctor turned back to the door. "Alex" He called. She didn't move. The Doctor stopped and looked at her. "Alex, let's go" She looked between him and Rose, confused and upset and not wanting to leave her behind. "Alex, stay or go, but you're making a decision right now" He warned her. Alex took one last look at Rose and huffed as she turned to storm towards the door. Rose was shouting behind them as the Doctor followed her out and she slammed the door when they were gone.

Alex was walking quickly and had no intention of letting him catch up. But, of course, he was taller than her and his longer legs let him catch up quickly.

"Alex" He tried.

"No" She snapped. "No, you can't do that, Doctor" She was fuming, pausing after every sentence to make sure she didn't start yelling. "You can't just leave her behind. You can't put me on the spot like that. You can't make me make a decision like that" She walked faster and heard him sigh from behind her.

"Alex" He repeated, catching up again.

"You're not my only friend!" She shouted suddenly, rounding on him. He froze at the sight of tears in her eyes. "Rose is my friend too and you can't just expect to give me five seconds notice and then leave her behind! I know, I'm being selfish, but you can't do this to me!" She gave him a hard shove but he only took a single step back. She huffed, turning back to get to the Tardis as fast as possible. She didn't really want to have a fight with him, all she wanted was to get back and lock herself in her room for a couple decades. She pulled out the key she had gotten since Satellite Five and quickly unlocked the door, swinging it open.

Alex froze, her mouth hanging open in shock as she suddenly remembered.

"Alex?" The Doctor called, concerned suddenly.

"Rose!" Alex shouted, taking off down the street. There was another moment before she heard the Doctor's footsteps follow. The Tardis was gone. They were all stuck. Which meant this timeline had been sealed off. And that meant nothing good. Alex knew where she was headed. There was a wedding at the church, and that's where Rose would be. She finally rounded the corner to see a mass of people outside the church she had been looking for, Rose standing apart from them.

"Rose!" She called. Rose turned, smiling.

"Get in the church!" The Doctor shouted from beside her. Rose's smiled faded suddenly as she heard the urgency in his voice. He looked to the side of her and she followed his gaze right as a giant bat-like creature appeared. Rose screamed as it headed right for her and the Doctor pushed her out of the way of it, the both of them falling to the ground. Alex rushed over, helping Rose to her feet as the Doctor jumped up and started yelling for everyone to get inside the church. They turned to run inside and stopped when another creature appeared between them and the door.

The people already inside the church started to try to come outside to see what was going on. They spotted the creature quickly and some started screaming. Some of them went to move forward, but stopped when the Doctor shouted at them to stay inside. One of them men didn't listen, running out, and the creature dove at him. He was gone. The bride tried to run for the church but was stopped when the creature moved to block her way. Alex took off without thinking, ignoring the Doctor calling for her as she stopped in front of the woman, staring right back at the creature.

The creature turned away, heading instead for the priest and Alex hurried the last of the guests inside with Rose and the Doctor. He closed the door right before it could get inside and it screeched loudly in protest. The Doctor quickly rounded on Alex, surprising her.

"What did you do that for?" He demanded. "You can't just throw yourself in front of something like that. What did I tell you?"

"I'm sorry" She said weakly.

"Sorry won't be good enough when you're dead" He snapped. Neither spoke and the whole church went silent but they were still only focussed on each other.

"It goes for the older people, I'm far too young for it to want" Alex told him in a whisper.

"You can't be sure of that" He pointed out, calmer than before. "Alex, you promised me" There was another pause.

"I know. I'm sorry. I'll be more careful next time" She assured him. He gave a nod and wandered off, talking to himself about old doors and windows as he went. Alex looked back down the aisle, not missing the fact that people were just looking away. She looked along the stained glass windows and the large cross at the front. She glanced back at the Doctor, who was, surprise surprise, arguing with Jackie, before looking back to the front. She moved down to sit on the edge of the front pew, staring up at the cross.

"It's been a long time since I've been in a church" She muttered to herself. The bride came to sit down next to her after a moment.

"You saved my life" She said quietly.

"Not really" Alex shrugged. "It probably would've left you alone whether or not I was there. See it goes after the oldest first, you were too young, I simply jumped in because I'm younger. I thought it might give you a better chance" There was a moment of silence before she spoke up again.

"Your friend, he's mad at you now, isn't he?" She asked, glancing at Alex. Alex looked back towards the Doctor, who was now talking to someone else.

"I think he's just worried" She sighed, looking forward again. "See, I did something dangerous a bit ago, and he got upset when he found out. I could've died" She frowned as she thought about it. "And I didn't mind at the time" The woman next to her looked absolutely horrified at the revelation. "He, uh, talked to me later that day. Made me promise to not put myself in danger like that again. And I think I've just broken my promise" She looked down at her feet, falling silent.

"So do I" The bride agreed. Alex looked up, frowning. "What you did was very dangerous, but I won't say it wasn't also very brave. But what's the point really when it's one life for one life?" Alex was incredibly confused now, but she listened. "You and your friend, you know what's going on better than anybody else. If anybody can save us, it's you two. You shouldn't sacrifice your life for one person like me, I'm not important" Alex stared at her a moment when she finished.

"Who says you're not important?" She asked softly. The woman looked surprised but before she could say anything the Doctor spoke up from the back of the church.

"Nothing in this universe can harm those things. Time's been damaged and they've come to sterilize the wound. By consuming everything in sight" He finished looking at Rose.

"Is this because…" She trailed off shakily. The Doctor simply watched her, but he didn't seem upset. "Is this my fault?" He didn't answer, but the look he gave her said it all. He walked past her to check another door. Alex looked down at her feet with another sigh. The woman beside her seemed to understand and left her alone. Alex moved to sit on the raised stage in the front of the church, watching the other people in the room talk to each other, some quietly panicking and some checking the doors. It was later when Alex glanced up to see Pete talking to Rose. Alex smiled as they hugged, but tears filled her eyes and she fixed her gaze on the ground.

Rose was meeting her Dad for the first time. Her Dad was getting to meet her as an adult. But Alex could never see her Dad again. It all became too much, the argument between the Doctor and Rose, and between herself and the Doctor. Then what she had done outside the church, she knew the Doctor must've been mad at her. And then everywhere she looked she saw people with their families and loved ones, everything reminding her that the two she had been arguing with were the only ones she had left.

A tear fell from her eye and she wiped it away angrily, standing up to move to one of the back rooms. She checked the doors even though she was sure those had already been checked. She heard someone walk in behind her and stopped, not turning around.

"Are you alright?" The Doctor asked. Alex didn't respond for a moment, thinking over what to say.

"I'm fine" She told him unconvincingly. He stepped closer and put a hand on her shoulder, turning her to face him. She wiped her eyes quickly but she knew they were probably red anyway.

"That doesn't look fine" He pointed out. Alex huffed in annoyance, looking away as one of the walls became particularly interesting. "Don't you trust me?" Alex hesitated, glancing at him from the corner of her eye.

"I learned to only trust myself" She responded curtly.

"But… I thought…"

"Doctor, this is entirely real and I know that, but sometimes it's hard to remember. I've spent a lot of my life trusting only me and you, because back then you were fiction, you weren't real and you couldn't…" She sighed, but the Doctor waited patiently. "When you weren't real, you couldn't let me down. I couldn't let you down. That's why I trust you so easily"

"Alex, I'm not mad at you" He assured her. "You've not let me down. I was just worried. You're gonna yourself killed"

Alex sighed, meeting his eyes again.

"Well that's gonna happen every now and then, travelling with you" At his almost devastated face, she added. "But I wouldn't change it for anything in the universe. I'd risk my life to save you Doctor, and I wouldn't be sorry about it. 'Cos I know you'd do the same for me" There was a pause and the Doctor pulled her in for a hug.

"What am I gonna do with you?" He muttered.

"Not let go" Alex suggested, holding him tighter.

"Never" He promised. When they eventually pulled apart Alex smiled up at him.

"Well, better get back out there. They think we're the ones who know what's going on. They'll be freaking out without the Doctor" She told him, brushing down the still burnt arm of his jacket. He smiled slightly as she walked around him to leave, glancing behind her as he followed. They weren't out there long when a tiny Mickey ran past and Jackie stopped them. She sent a glance at the Doctor before talking to Alex.

"Would you mind looking after Rose for me?" She asked, handing her over. Alex's eyes went wide as she took the baby gently and she stood completely still for a moment, afraid she'd drop her. Jackie gave her a small smile before rushing off after the boy. Alex turned slightly, staring at the Doctor in her shock, who laughed.

"Nineteen years earlier, she still trusts you with Rose more than me" He commented moving to sit on a banister beside baby Rose's carrier. Alex laughed, sitting beside him and rearranging the baby in her lap so she would be comfortable where they could both see her.

"Hello, Love" Alex smiled down at her. Baby Rose gurgled happily, reaching up to her and Alex laughed again.

"Now Rose" The Doctor spoke up, leaning closer. "You're not gonna bring about the end of the world, are you? Are you?" Alex shook her head in almost amusement at him before older Rose caught her eye, stopping beside them.

"Your mother gave her to Alex to look after. Things never change" The Doctor told her.

"I'd better be careful, I think I just imprinted on Mickey like a mother chicken" She joked. She reached out to her baby self and the Doctor quickly snatched her hand away.

"No, don't touch the baby" He warned. Alex looked around quickly at a particularly loud screech from outside. Baby Rose complained at the movement and Alex looked down at her with wide eyes.

"Oh no, no don't do that, don't cry, Love. Please don't" She whispered to the baby, bouncing her slightly "It's alright. It's alright Little Rosie, I've got you" She placed a kiss on the baby's head, looking up as the Doctor explained the paradox to older Rose.

"Can't do anything right, can I?" Rose asked quietly.

"Since you ask, no. So don't, touch, the baby" The Doctor scolded.

"I'm, not, stupid" Rose returned the same.

"You could've fooled me"

"Doctor" Alex snapped as Rose looked away, hurt. The Doctor glanced at Alex as she scowled at him, bouncing baby Rose gently on her lap. He looked back up at older Rose, realising his mistake.

"Alright, I'm sorry" He told her. She looked back at him. "I wasn't really gonna leave you on your own" He told her softly.

"I know" She said quietly, obviously still upset.

"But between you and me. I haven't got a plan. No idea. No way out"

"You'll think of something" Rose assured him quietly.

"The entire Earth is being sterilized. "This, and other places like it are all that's left of the human race. We might hold out for a while, but nothing can stop those creatures. They'll get through in the end. The walls aren't that old. And there's nothing I can do to stop them. There used to be laws stopping this kind of thing from happening. My people would have stopped this. But they're all gone. And now I'm going the same way"

"If I'd realised…" Rose trailed off. The Doctor looked up at her and she met his gaze.

"Just… tell me you're sorry"

"I am" She told him sincerely. "I'm sorry" The Doctor reached up to cup her cheek with a hand, and she stared back at him, looking close to crying, almost like she expected him to start yelling again. He grinned suddenly, standing as he pulled her into a hug which she returned quickly.

"See, Rose, that's the man you want" Alex whispered to the baby. "The most wonderful man in all of space and time. Because he can see the best in everyone. And even if I'm here, he loves you very much" She pressed a kiss to the baby's head, smiling as Little Rose giggled happily. She looked up as Rose pulled away from the Doctor, asking about anything hot in his pockets. She pulled out the glowing Tardis key and dropped it quickly with a gasp.

"It's the Tardis key!" The Doctor realised, taking off his jacket to pick it up inside the leather. "It's telling me it's still connected to the Tardis!" Alex stood with baby Rose still in her arms and grinned between the two.

"Well, what're we waiting for?"

* * *

Alex was sat on a table up near the Doctor as he explained everything to the remaining people in the room, all of which were sitting and listening closely.

"Has anybody got a battery?" He asked then.

"Phone" Alex pointed to the old phone on the seat in front on the Groom, who picked it up.

"This one big enough?" He asked, walking over.

"Fantastic" The Doctor agreed, hurrying down to him.

"Good old Dad. There you go" The man nodded, handing it over.

"Just need to do a bit of charging up" He muttered, pressing the sonic screwdriver to the battery. "And then we can bring everyone back" He glanced around as he charged the battery, his gaze meeting Alex's. She gave a hesitant smile and he returned it with a reassuring one.

It wasn't much longer until he found a clear spot and held the key up to the same height as the Tardis lock. The Tardis almost immediately began to appear, materialising slowly. Alex grinned.

"Oh, Sweetheart, you have no idea how glad I am to see you" She said quietly. The Doctor grinned back at her as he slipped his jacket on, running back up onto the front of the raised stage to address the rest of the room.

"Right, no one touches that key" He announced. "Have you got that? Don't touch it. Anyone touches that key, it'll be, well, zap. Just leave it be any everything will be fine. We'll get out of here. Stuart, Sarah, you're gonna get married, just like I said" He grinned at the Bride and Groom.

* * *

The Tardis was taking a long time to materialise, but it was surely happening. Alex was sat between the Doctor and Rose with Pete behind them.

"When time gets sorted out…" Rose started.

"No one here will remember anything that happened" Alex told her. "But don't worry, the thing you changed will stay changed"

"You mean I'll still be alive" Pete spoke up, making the girls turn. "Though I'm meant to be dead" Rose didn't say anything and Alex simply glanced worriedly at her. "That's why I haven't done anything with my life. Why I didn't mean anything"

"It doesn't work like that" The Doctor told him.

"Rubbish" Pete scoffed. "I'm so useless I can't even die properly. Now it's my fault all of this has happened" Rose reached over to put a hand on his arm.

"This is my fault" She corrected.

"No, Love. I'm your Dad. It's my job for it to be my fault"

Alex smiled sadly, remembering a time when her own Dad said something much the same.

"Her Dad?" Jackie spoke up, appearing beside them. "How are you her Dad? How old were you? Twelve?" The Doctor rolled his eyes and turned away while Alex cringed slightly, turning towards him.

"Domestic" She muttered, earning a nod from him.

"Oh that's disgusting" Jackie went on.

"Jacks, listen" Pete tried, standing. "This is Rose"

"Rose?" She asked incredulously, angry but keeping a low voice all the same. "How sick is that? You give my daughter a second-hand name? How many are there? Do you call them all Rose?"

"Oh, for god's sake, look! It's the same Rose!"

Alex turned around with wide eyes as Pete took baby Rose from Jackie and handed her to older Rose.

"Rose! No!" The Doctor cried as Alex pulled her away. But it was too late, they had touched. One of those creatures appeared in the middle of the room and everyone screamed.

"Everyone! Behind me!" The Doctor ordered. Alex went to take a step forward but she was still holding baby Rose. "Alex don't you dare! You've got two promises to keep right now" He reminded her. Alex looked down at the baby girl fussing in her arms and knew he was right. The creature screeched and spread its wings menacingly.

"I'm the oldest thing in here" The Doctor told it. The creature dove for him.

"Doctor!" Alex and Rose cried in horror. Too late. The Doctor was gone and the creature flew around the room once more before colliding with the Tardis and they both disappeared in a flash of light. The key fell to the floor, looking like nothing but a regular key. Rose ran forward to pick up the key but Alex stood still, unmoving as she stared at where the Doctor used to be. Pete walked forward to comfort Rose and Alex felt Jackie rest a gentle hand on her shoulder. The sky darkened as if the world knew its last hope was gone. The guests looked around, terrified but silent.

"This is it" Someone said. "There's nothing we can do. It's the end"

* * *

Alex sat silently on the stage, Little Rose held tightly in her arms. Jackie hadn't had the heart to take her from the poor girl. She'd tried to talk to her but she remained stubbornly silent, not even crying. She just sat there, looking down at the baby who hadn't a care in the world. A world that soon wouldn't exist anymore. She finally forced herself to look up in time to see Jackie join Pete and Rose. She saw the realisation dawn on her and soon the three were hugging. Alex took a deep shuddering breath and looked back down at baby Rose, who was staring intently at her. She smiled sadly.

"Oh, Rose" She whispered. "I'm gonna miss little you, you know. But you won't miss me. In a few moments you won't know you've ever seen me. But I'm gonna tell you something anyway. For the first nineteen years of your life, nothing really happens. You grow up wonderfully, and then on the first of January, 2005, you meet the most wonderful man in the universe, and you'll never even know. Later that year, you meet him again. Don't be upset when your job is blown up" She laughed. "Because it's the best thing to ever happen to you. When the man asks you to go with him, you go Rose. Because him, and that girl by his side, they need you. They need you more than you could ever believe. And they could never leave you behind" She pressed a kiss to Little Rose's forehead, smiling softly at the joyful giggle.

"See you around, Love" She whispered, standing as Pete made his way to the door. Alex handed the baby over to Jackie with a small smile and followed Rose. She stood beside her as Pete ran in front of the car. The Doctor walked up behind them and put a hand on Rose's shoulder.

"Go to him. Quick" He told her. She ran down to him, kneeling next to her father as he died. Alex turned to the Doctor and he stared back at her. She didn't cry when he was gone, but now, seeing him again, she had tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Hello" She said softly.

"Hello" He replied.

Alex practically jumped on him in tight hug, sobbing in his shoulder. He held her tightly in return, whispering softly to her, assuring her he was there. They pulled apart after a bit, both walking over to stand on the road for Rose. She took one last look at her father and then looked up at them. Alex had wiped her tears away, now feeling horrible because the man she had lost was right there, while Rose's father died anyway. Alex and the Doctor each took one of Rose's hands, leading her back to the Tardis. There was a lot of them comforting each other that night. They all sat together in the console room, Rose told them about how her Mum used to talk about her Dad, Alex told stories about her own Father, and the Doctor listened. And when both girls fell asleep one after the other, holding onto each other in comfort, the Doctor took them both back to their beds.


	18. James Bond and The Invisible Spaceship

Alex was rudely awoken when the Tardis lurched and she had to grab at the bedhead to keep from falling right off. She cursed under her breath as the shaking continued, eventually figuring she couldn't climb out of bed normally, she let go and rolled to the ground, landing with a thud. There was a static crackle from somewhere in the room and Alex looked around.

"Alex, Rose. We've got an emergency" The Doctor's voice spoke. Alex stood shakily, holding onto the walls for support as she tried to find where there were apparently speakers in her bedroom. "I need you to get dressed and meet me in the console room right away"

"On it" Rose's voice came through.

"Alex?" The Doctor asked.

"Since when was there a sound system in my room?"

"Not the best time, Lex"

"Shut up. Fine, I'm on my way"

There was another crackle of static and Alex knew it had been turned off. How long had that been there? She stumbled to her closet, throwing on the closest pair of jeans and shirt. She slipped her converse on, hopping out into her room as she finished tugging the second one on. She fell to the ground at the next lurch, as she was only on one foot, and cursed under her breath as she jumped up and grabbed her jacket by the door, slipping it on quickly as she ran down the halls. She ran right into Rose on the way and they both stopped to steady each other.

"Are you sure about that T-shirt?" Alex asked, frowning down at the Union Flag printed shirt she wore. The shirt that made it quickly clear what the 'emergency' happening was.

"Too early to say, I'm taking it out for a spin" Rose told her. The two made their way quickly to the console room, stumbling over to the console and Alex quickly got to work on calming the ship while the Doctor tracked down the 'space junk'.

"What's the emergency?" Rose asked, standing beside the Doctor.

"Its mauve" He replied quickly.

"Mauve?" Rose questioned, following him as he rushed around to the other aide of the console. Alex moved the other way, stopping where he had just been, knowing how to work with him.

"Universally recognised color for danger" The two spoke unison.

"What happened to red?" Rose asked, not even surprised by them.

"That's just humans" The Doctor waved off. "By everyone else's standards, red's camp. Oh, the misunderstandings. All those red alerts, all that dancing" Alex and the Doctor swapped sides again and the latter gestured to the screen for Rose to look.

"It's got a very basic flight computer. I've hacked in, slaved the Tardis. Wherever it goes, we go" He explained.

"And how safe is it?" Rose asked looking wary.

"Totally" The Doctor responded without hesitation. Part of the console exploded suddenly and Alex cried out in pain as her hand burned.

"Reasonably!" She snapped.

"Okay, reasonably" The Doctor agreed. "Should've said reasonably there, sorry" Alex shot him a quick glare but they both knew she was more annoyed than actually mad at him.

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no!" He cried suddenly, circling the console again. "It's jumping time tracks, getting away from us"

"Then follow it!" Alex shouted back exasperatedly.

"What exactly is this thing?" Rose asked, confused.

"No idea" The Doctor replied.

"And why are we chasing it?"

"It's mauve and dangerous" He stopped by the monitor and took a look. "And about thirty seconds from the centre of London"

"Goddamnit London!" Alex cried annoyedly, but smiling when she heard Rose laugh. She moved to look over the Doctor's shoulder, watching the numbers in Gallifreyan that she didn't understand but had memorised.

"Incoming!" She warned, seconds before the Tardis landed with a thud. Alex had held on to Rose as they landed, managing to keep them both up as the Doctor fell to the floor. She laughed, looking down at him as she released the blonde.

"You right there?" She asked, smirking.

"Shut up" He replied quickly, jumping to his feet and making his way to the door. He stepped out with Alex right behind him as always. She looked around them as Rose stepped out last, closing the door behind her. They appeared to be behind a row of houses somewhere in London.

"Do you know how long we can knock around space without having to bump into Earth?" The Doctor asked.

"Five days?" Rose suggested. "Or is that just when we're out of milk?"

"All the species in the universe and it has to come from a cow" The Doctor shook his head. They started walking. "Must have come down somewhere quite close. Within a mile anyway. And it can't have been more than a few weeks ago. Maybe a month"

"A month?" Rose asked incredulously. "We were right behind it!"

"It was jumping time tracks all over the place. We were bound to be a little bit out. Do you wanna drive?" He asked Rose.

"Yes" Alex answered quickly.

"Not by yourself" The Doctor scoffed, making Alex scowl.

"I'd do better than you"

"No you wouldn't"

"I would've passed my test"

"You don't know that"

"Yeah, how much is 'a little'?" Rose interrupted, knowing they'd go on forever if she didn't.

"A bit" The two said together.

"Is that _exactly_ a bit?"

"Ish" They both answered. The Doctor looked over at Alex.

"So what's this one then?" He asked knowing it was obvious that this had been an episode. "Particularly good or particularly bad?" Alex thought about it a moment.

"Mixed feelings" She answered honestly. He nodded.

"Alright then"

"What's the plan then? Are you going to do a scan for alien tech or something?" Rose asked. The Doctor raised an eyebrow at her.

"Rose, it hit the middle of London with a very loud bang. I'm gonna ask" He told her, showing her his psychic paper.

"'Doctor John Smith, Ministry of Asteroids'" Rose read.

"Psychic paper, it tells you-"

"Whatever you want it to tell me. I remember" Rose interrupted.

"Sorry"

"Not very Spock is it? Just asking?" She asked the Doctor, who was crouching down and working on a locked door with the sonic screwdriver.

"Door, music, people, what do you think?" He asked in return.

"I think you should do a scan for alien tech" The girls said at once. The Doctor didn't respond.

"Give me some Spock!" Rose continued. "For once, would it kill ya?"

"Are you sure about that T-shirt?" He asked, glancing up at her. Rose looked down at her shirt, frowning.

"What's wrong with this shirt?" She asked, glancing at Alex, who simply shrugged. That was when she heard it, the voice. It was a lot creepier in real life. She turned around as did Rose, both looking for the source of the voice.

"Come on if you're coming, won't take a minute" The Doctor told them over his shoulder, opening the door and heading inside.

"Rose, go with him" Alex told her friend, not looking around.

"But-"

"Go" She insisted, meeting her eyes over her shoulder. "I've got it" Rose hesitated but nodded, following the Doctor inside. Alex looked around again and quickly spotted the child on the roof. _Jamie…_ She started off, quickly looking for a way up. She ran up the steps and stopped right below the child.

"Oh god" She muttered under her breath. She knew that Jamie wasn't exactly alive and that he would be fine in the end but it wasn't a nice thing to see a kid on the edge of a rooftop. A rope swung into view and Alex looked up at the barrage balloon in the sky, swallowing nervously. Well, she already sent Rose away and someone had to meet Jack.

Taking a deep breath, Alex grabbed hold of the rope and began to climb, as high as she could go, using the brick wall for leverage.

"Balloon!" Jamie cried suddenly. Alex's eyes widened as the rope started away from the roof of the building. Alex was silent in her fear, looking around with wide eyes. She realised something, hanging thousands of feet in the air during a German air raid was far more terrifying than the show could portray.

Alex felt her hands slip slightly and gasped, tightening her grip even though the rope was hurting her hands and aggravating the burn already there. She cried out in pain and terror as she slipped again.

"Any time now Jack" She muttered under her breath. "I could be meeting Nancy right now" She spotted Big Ben nearby and was about to breathe a sigh of relief when she slipped again and suddenly the rope was gone and she was falling. Alex screamed. But it was over as soon as it had started and Alex was suddenly surrounded by a blue light. She looked around with wide eyes, but she knew exactly what was happening.

"Okay, okay, I've got you" Jack's voice filled her ears.

"Good to know" She replied breathily, sneaking a glance below her. There was still thousands of feet of air between her and the ground and she looked up quickly, whimpering in fear.

"You'll be alright, hold on" Jack told her. "I'm just programming your decent pattern. Keep as still as you can and keep your hands and feet inside the light field"

"Not a problem" She squeaked. "I think I'm too scared to move"

"Well you're going to have to, because I need you to switch your cell phone off"

"Um…"

"Seriously, it interferes with my instrument"

"You know, people never actually believe that" She mumbled, pulling out her phone and switching it quickly off.

"Thank you, that's much better"

"Oh, yeah. That makes me feel better" Alex scoffed. "I'm hanging thousands of feet in the air during a German air raid, but you know, at least my phone's off! Did I mention I'm terrified of heights?!" Her voice was higher than normal and her last few words came out squeaky. Jack laughed.

"Be with you in a moment" He told her. There was silence and Alex squeezed her eyes shut tight, trying to level off her breathing and ignore the fact that she wasn't standing on anything. "Ready for you, hold tight!" Jack spoke again.

"To what?!" Alex shouted back, slightly hysterical.

"Fair point"

Alex was suddenly falling again and she screamed, her eyes shut tight until she stopped suddenly and someone was holding her. She was hyperventilating at that point and grabbed Jack tighter.

"Whoa, I've got you" He tried to tell her. "You're alright now" Alex didn't respond and she was still breathing far too quickly. He cursed under his breath and she was suddenly being sat down on what felt like a bed. He went to move his arms and Alex grabbed him even tighter.

"Alright, alright. You're okay now. Just listen to me okay? Listen to my voice, breathe" He encouraged. Alex didn't open her eyes but took a few deep breaths before returning to her quick breathing. "Alright, see, you can do it. Keep going" He told her. She did as he said, focussing on the feeling of something underneath her and soon she was breathing normally again. She opened her eyes slowly and looked up at him. "Careful, the tractor beam can scramble your head a little" He told her. She simply stared back at him. _Damn, he was even better looking in real life_

"Hello" She said, rather breathlessly. He grinned back at her.

"Hello" He replied.

"Hello" Alex repeated. She hadn't realised what she'd done until Jack raised his eyebrows at her questioningly. "Sorry" She told him quickly. "I already said that"

"You alright now?" He asked her.

"Yeah, fine. Were you expecting me to faint or something?"

"Well, you look a little dizzy" He pointed out.

"Me? You're not even in focus" She responded without thinking. "Oh" She mumbled. The last thing she heard was Jack laughing as she felt his arms around her again, and then everything disappeared.

* * *

Alex blinked her eyes open slowly, thinking over the last few minutes in her memory for a moment before sitting up in the bed. She looked around for a moment, finding Jack at the front of the ship in the pilot seat, now turning to face her. Alex stood and stepped a little closer slowly.

"Better now?" He asked.

"Any lights?" She asked in response. Jack moved and lights turned on, making Alex blink rapidly for a moment.

"Hello" Jack nodded to her.

"Hello" She responded quietly, tugging at the hem of her shirt slightly shyly.

"Hello" Jack smiled. Alex laughed.

"Let's not start that again" She shook her head.

"Okay" Jack laughed. Alex thought over what to say for a moment but found she was still smiling and quickly realised the reason why.

"In the sea of British" She said simply, gesturing to him. Jack laughed.

"You too" he nodded. "What're you doing in London?"

"I could ask you the same question, Captain Jack" Alex smirked. Jack's smile fell.

"What?"

"You heard me, Harkness"

There was a moment of silence as Alex leaned against the wall, waiting for him to talk first, while he waited for her to talk first.

"So, London. Why?" Alex asked eventually.

"133 squadron, Royal Air force. American volunteer" he recited, handing her what looked like and ID badge. Alex read it, nodding as if she were impressed, before flipping it closed.

"Liar" She smirked. He paused again, unsure how to react.

"Psychic paper" She pointed out, waving it at him. "Tells me whatever you want it to? Ring any bells?" He sat back slightly, not denying anything.

"How did you know?"

"Well, firstly, I have a friend who uses one of these, I've been bugging him to give me one" She explained.

"No dice?"

"Nah, secondly" She flipped the paper open again, reading over it as she talked. "You just handed me a piece of paper that says you're single and you work out"

"Tricky thing, psychic paper" Jack told her, leaning forward again.

"Can't let your mind wander when you're handing it over" Alex agreed, handing it back as if to demonstrate. He opened it and grinned at her.

"Oh, am I?" He asked cheekily. Alex's eyes widened.

"What?" Her voice squeaked.

"Apparently you think I am 'hotter than you'd expected'?" He read. Alex silently stared at him with wide eyes and an otherwise blank expression. "You also wonder if I'd make some doctor jealous, the answer would be yes by the way"

"Okay, let's try this conversation _without_ the psychic paper" Alex suggested quickly, her face burning. Jack laughed, standing.

"That would be better wouldn't it?" He agreed, tucking it away.

"Nice spaceship" Alex commented, admiring the interior.

"Gets me around" He agreed modestly.

"Not as James Bond as I'd have liked" Alex said slowly, watching his reaction.

"I'd say it was a little James Bond" He countered, seeming almost offended.

"Guess you're not local then" She commented more then questioned. Jack narrowed his eyes slightly.

"What tells you that?" He questioned. Alex leaned forward coyly, her arm bracing her against the wall.

"The fact that the first James Bond doesn't come out for another twelve years" She reminded him. He watched her a moment before looking down at his wrist and Alex grinned at the sight of the vortex manipulator.

"Touch screen cell phone, digital watch and fabrics that won't be around for at least another two decades… Guess you're not local either" He determined, looking back up as she sat down in a seat beside the window.

"You guess correctly" She agreed, leaning on the window but pulling away instantly as she gasped in pain, having forgotten about her hands. She didn't look at Jack, trying to play it off, but he'd noticed.

"Burn your hands on the rope?" He asked, concerned. Alex sent him a sideways glance.

"Already burned one before then too" She told him quietly. "So nobody down there can see us?"

"No. Can I have a look at your hands for a moment?" He asked, stepping closer. Alex sat back down, eyeing him warily. She knew Jack was trustworthy in the future, but right now he was just a conn man, so she had reason to be a little unsure. "Please?" He added, sitting down beside her. She watched him for another moment before slowly holding her hands out. He copied her, moving slowly as well as he ran a scanner over her hands.

"You can stop acting now" He told her. "You should know, I can spot a time agent a mile away"

"I know" She replied evenly.

"I've been expecting one of you guys to show up. Though not, I must say, by barrage balloon. Do you often travel that way?"

"Yeah Jack. I, terrified of heights, purposely travel by barrage balloon on a regular basis" She told him sarcastically. He smiled slightly as he slipped off his scarf to wrap around her wrists. "What are you doing?" She asked, frowning down at his hands.

"Try to keep still" He said instead. He leaned over, pressing some kind of switch above her head and their eyes met as Alex realised just how close they were. There was a beeping sound and Alex looked around quickly, trying to find the source before what looked like glowing fireflies appeared above her hands. Alex gasped in delight as she watched them move over her marked hands.

"Nanogenes!" She cried happily.

"Sub-atomic robots" Jack agreed. "The air in here's full of them" Alex watched them work for another moment before Jack flicked the switch again and they disappeared. "They just repaired three layers of your skin" He told her, untying her hands.

"Cool" She muttered, holding one of her hands close to her face to inspect their handiwork. Alex smirked to herself at the thought.

"Handy to have around" She joked, waving at Jack as he stood. He smiled.

"We'll get down to business" He told her, picking up a bottle of champagne.

"What business?" She asked, leaning forward slightly.

"Shall we have a drink on the balcony?" He suggested, holding her gaze as he pressed a button to his side. Part of the roof lowered into the ship, making Alex smile at it.

"Cool" She muttered again. Jack smiled back at her, starting up.

"Bring up the glasses" He told her. Alex jumped up and grabbed the glasses from where Jack had grabbed the bottle and quickly followed him. She hesitated at the top, stepping slowly onto what looked like nothing there.

"Ooh, I've gotta be standing on something" She commented, looking down with wide eyes. Jack laughed, taking something that rather looked sonic out of his pocket and pressing a button on it. The ship below them seemed to appear and Alex's fear turned to wonder.

"Cool?" He asked cheekily, making Alex laugh.

"Your spaceship is invisible"

"Yeah"

"And tethered up to Big Ben"

"First rule of active camouflage, park somewhere you'll remember" Jack declared, popping the cork from the bottle with a loud bang. Alex laughed and Jack joined in a moment later, filling up the glasses Alex held out.

The two sat down, sipping the champagne as Jack flirted shamelessly, smirking every time Alex blushed or laughed. Alex looked back out over the streets of London, thinking about where the Doctor and Rose might be now. How much had she changed by sending Rose with him? How much had she changed by being here instead of her? What if Rose could've gotten hurt by Jamie? And Alex wasn't even there. Her happy smile from being with Jack quickly faded at these thoughts and she stood, leaving her glass on the roof of the ship beside him.

"I'll need to get going" She told Jack, stepping gingerly forward to look over the edge of the ship. She stepped back quickly and briefly wondered how she'd get down.

"We're discussing business" Jack complained.

"This isn't business, this is champagne" She corrected, managing a smile.

"I try never to discuss business on a clear head" He told her, standing and making his way over to her. "Are you travelling alone? Are you authorised to negotiate with me?"

"Depends" Alex said slowly. "What exactly would we be negotiating?"

"I have something for the Time Agency. Something they'd like to buy. Are you in power to make payment?"

"Well…" Alex trailed off, staring out into the city as she thought. "I'll need to talk to my, companion" She said carefully.

"Companion?" Jack raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, he might start worrying, alone with Rose"

"He?"

"And Rose" She reminded, looking back at him. There was a moment of silence. "Do you have the time?" She asked. Jack cleared his throat as he pulled the same device out of his pocket, pressing the button and Big Ben lit up and chimed. Alex turned quickly, jumping back and Jack placed a hand on her waist to keep her from falling as she laughed.

"Okay, that was pretty awesome" She grinned.

"So…" Jack said slowly, moving his other hand to her waist as she turned to face him properly. "When you say companion. Just how disappointed should I be?"

"Um" She started, but cut herself off quickly as her voice squeaked. "Well, I wouldn't really say, _disappointed_ " She froze as Jack moved to kiss the back of her hand. "I- I mean… We aren't…" He smiled at her.

"Do you like Glen Miller?" He asked, lifting his little device a pressing a button on the side. An old sounding song started up and he started up a slow dance. _Rose would be okay…_

"It's 1941" he started saying. "The height of the London Blitz. The height of the German bombing campaign. And something else has fallen on London- A fully equipped Chula Warship. The last one in existence, armed to the teeth. And I know where it is, because I parked it" Alex tried to pay attention, she really did. But one of his hands was on her lower back, holding her a bit closer than she had expected, his other hand holding hers out to the side. Alex was confused with herself, not entirely sure how comfortable she was with it. She certainly wasn't used to it but she almost felt she was enjoying dancing with Jack.

"If the agency can name the right price, I can get it for you. But in two hours a German bomb will fall on it and destroy it forever" Jack continued, looking at Alex seriously now. "That's the deadline. That's the deal. And now, shall we discuss payment?" There was a pause.

"Sorry, I can't focus on anything you're saying" Alex told him quietly. He caught her eye, looking down at her seriously.

"Two hours, the bomb falls. There'll be nothing left but dust and a crater" He repeated. Another pause.

"Nope, nothing. Can't retain a word you're saying" She shook her head.

"You're not listening to _any_ of this?"

"You used to be a Time Agent. But now you're a freelancer" Alex summarised, getting her focus back.

"Well that's a little harsh" He pulled her closer suddenly, his flirtatious smirk in place. "I like to think of myself as a criminal" Alex laughed.

"Yeah, I bet you do" She agreed.

"So, these companions of yours, do they handle the business?"

"Well, one of them, you could say that"

"Well maybe we should go and find them"

"How are you gonna do that?" Alex frowned, actually confused.

"Easy, I'll do a scan for alien tech" Jack told her, letting her go to work on something on his vortex manipulator.

"Finally, a professional" She laughed, making him grin.

* * *

The two of them landed in a dark empty hallway. Alex glanced up and down the hall, pulling slowly away from Jack's arm around her waist, trying to ignore the slight dizziness cutesy of the Vortex Manipulator.

"Hello?" Jack called. Alex glanced around again as he started down one direction.

"Hello?" She copied, following. Soon enough the Doctor and Rose walked out into the hall, approaching them.

"Alex!" Rose called, rushing forward. Alex ran forward too and the girls embraced, Rose pulling away to look her over. "Are you okay? We couldn't find you"

"Oh, I'm _fine_ " Alex told her. She caught sight of Jack and seemed to understand immediately, sending her friend another glance as she grinned at him.

"Good evening. Hope I'm not interrupting, Jack Harkness" Jack told the Doctor politely, shaking his hand. He caught Rose's eye and sent her a wink before continuing. "I've been hearing all about you on the way over" The Doctor glanced at Alex, who was standing beside Rose still.

"He knows. I had to tell him about us being Time Agents" Alex told him, hinting. Rose frowned slightly, looking to the Doctor but not saying anything to give them away. The Doctor simply nodded.

"And it's a real pleasure to meet you Mr Bond" Jack told him, patting the Doctor on the shoulder. He turned and walked off, leaving the Doctor and Rose to stare at Alex rather bemusedly while she grinned.

"Mr Bond?" The Doctor asked.

"If it means anything, he knows I'm messing with him" She told him, laughing. The Doctor looked at Rose, who shrugged herself.

"Well she has a point" Rose agreed "What is she supposed to say, you don't have a name. Don't you ever get tired of 'Doctor'? Doctor who?"

"Nine centuries in, I'm coping" He told her, turning to Alex. "Where've you been? We're in the middle of a London Blitz. It's not a good time for a stroll"

"Who's strolling?" Alex asked casually, starting to walk in the direction Jack had gone. "I went by barrage balloon"

"What?!" Rose and the Doctor asked, following.

"Hey, remind me, what's a Chula ship?" Alex asked, turning back to him. He stopped.

"Chula?"

They walked into the ward where Jack was busy scanning some of the bodies.

"This isn't possible. How could this happen?" He was asking.

"What kind of Chula ship landed here?" The Doctor asked, making him turn.

"What?"

"He said it was a war ship. He stole it and parked it somewhere, where a bomb's gonna fall on it in two hours. Unless we make him an offer" Alex told him.

"What kind of war ship?" The Doctor pressed.

"Does it matter?" Jack demanded, annoyed now. He glanced at Alex and she froze at the look he sent her. All of a sudden it was like they hadn't been flirting and laughing and dancing less than five minutes ago. He looked at her like he'd never seen her and she didn't understand. Alex made sure she didn't react outwardly, fixing a neutral expression and staring right back at him. "It's got nothing to do with this!"

"This started at the bomb site" The Doctor returned angrily. "It's got everything to do with it. What kind of warship?"

"An ambulance!" Jack admitted, trying to prove it wasn't his fault. He turned on his vortex manipulator. "Look" A hologram of the ship appeared above the device and Jack glanced up at Alex, expecting a grin and a 'cool'. She simply crossed her arms and stared at the hologram, not meeting his eyes.

"That's what you chased through the time vortex" He continued, looking back at the Doctor. "It's space junk. I wanted to kid you it was valuable. It's empty, I made sure of it. Nothing but a shell. I threw it at you. Saw your time travel vehicle. Love the retro look by the way, nice panels, threw you the bait-"

"Bait?" Rose asked, frowning.

"I wanted to sell it to you and then destroy it before you found out it was junk" He told them.

"You said it was a war ship" Rose frowned.

"They have ambulances in wars" Jack defended, crossing the room away from them, annoyed. "It was a con, I was conning you, that's what I am, I'm a conn man. I thought you were Time Agents but you're not, are you?"

"Just a couple more free-lancers" Alex shot back.

"Ahh… should've known. The way you guys are blending in with the local color. I mean, Flag Girl and Little Miss Soldier are bad enough, but U-Boat Captain?"

The three of them looked down at their clothes self-consciously.

"Anyway, whatever's happening here has got nothing to do with this ship" Jack insisted.

"What really is happening here, Doctor?" Alex asked, looking over the 'patients' in the beds. She knew what was happening, but she also knew Rose was meant to have asked. The Doctor didn't take his eyes off Jack as he answered.

"Human DNA's being rewritten by an idiot"

"Why d'you mean?" Rose asked, looking up at him.

"I dunno, some kind of virus. It's converting human beings into these things" He explained, nodding at the bodies. Alex really looked them over and found for the fourth time that day, it was a lot milder on TV. So she stood back by the Doctor as he spoke. "But why? What's the point?"

Rose was looking over one of the bodies when suddenly they all sat up. Rose stumbled backward away from them and Alex grabbed her and stood between her and the gas-mask 'zombies'. They were all shouting 'mummy' all at once and it became rather loud very quickly.

"What's happening?" Rose asked fearfully.

"I don't know" The Doctor admitted, looking around at them. The four of them were all gathered into one spot and soon backed against one of the walls. The Doctor and Jack on the outside with Alex still in front of Rose behind them.

"Don't let them touch you" The Doctor warned.

"What happens when they touch you?" Rose asked.

"You're looking at it" Alex stated grimly.

They got closer and closer and Alex was almost sure there was no way out of this one. She hugged Rose tightly and closed her eyes.

* * *

 **In case you forgot, Alex's jacket is one of those green combat jackets, which is the reason for Jack's nickname for her when he points out their clothes. She also has a little thing for James Bond, which accounts for her references in place of Rose's 'Spock' references.**


	19. A Conn Man With Standards

_Rose was looking over one of the bodies when suddenly they all sat up. Rose stumbled backward away from them and Alex grabbed her and stood between her and the gas-mask 'zombies'. They were all shouting 'mummy' all at once and it became rather loud very quickly._

 _"What's happening?" Rose asked fearfully._

 _"I don't know" The Doctor admitted, looking around at them. The four of them were all gathered into one spot and soon backed against one of the walls. The Doctor and Jack on the outside with Alex still in front of Rose behind them._

 _"Don't let them touch you" The Doctor warned._

 _"What happens when they touch you?" Rose asked._

 _"You're looking at it" Alex stated grimly._

 _They got closer and closer and Alex was almost sure there was no way out of this one. She hugged Rose tightly and closed her eyes._

"Go to your room"

There was a pause and Alex cracked an eye open, looking around properly when she noticed all the gas-masked people had stopped.

"Go to your room!" The Doctor repeated. The people all tilted their head to one side at once. Rose and Jack shared a glance but Alex was still staring at the Doctor. "I mean it! I am very, very angry with you. I am very, very cross. Go, to, your, ROOM!" He pointed violently in no particular direction and the gas-masked people slowly turned and walked back to their beds, lying down where they were moments ago. The Doctor sighed in relief and Alex was busy trying to calm her pounding heart.

"I'm really glad that worked. Those would've been _terrible_ last words" The Doctor grinned. He turned right into Alex, who practically tackled him in a hug.

"Whoa, hey, it's okay" He told her softly. Alex held him tightly and closed her eyes, breathing her own sigh of relief.

"I thought for sure…"

"You're okay, Alex"

"I'm not talking about me" She pulled away, looking him right in the eyes. "I made you a promise, but you can't make me that promise. I don't want you to go" He stared at her for a second and Alex was suddenly afraid he'd laugh at her for being so scared. She pulled away, crossing her arms over her chest just as the Doctor pulled her back in for another hug. She accepted quickly.

"You're right, I can't make that promise" He agreed. "But I will try my very best not to die, alright?" She nodded.

"Alright" She whispered, pulling away after a moment.

"Good" He smiled down at her. There was a moment of silence and he seemed to be waiting. Eventually Alex couldn't help but smile at him, and he grinned. "There we go, Alex is back, yeah?"

"Yeah" She nodded, laughing.

"Why are they all wearing gas masks?" Rose asked from across the room. The Doctor ruffled Alex's hair before she batted him away, fixing it with a scowl.

"They're not" Jack corrected. "Those masks are flesh and bone"

"How was your con supposed to work?" The Doctor asked, turning to Jack, who was settled in a chair.

"Simple enough really" He shrugged. "I find a harmless piece of space junk. Let the nearest Time Agent track it back to Earth. Convince him it's valuable, name a price. When he's put 50% up front, oops! A German bomb falls on it, destroys it forever. He never gets to see what he's payed for. Never knows he's been had. I buy him a drink with his own money, and we discuss dumb luck. The perfect self-cleaning con"

"Yeah, perfect" The Doctor agreed sarcastically.

"You forgot the flirting bit at the start" Alex added coldly.

"That was just luck on my part" Jack smiled at her. Alex replied with a glare.

"The London Blitz is great for self-cleaners" Jack continued. "Pompeii's nice if you want to make a vacation of it though, but you've got to set your alarm for volcano day" He laughed at his own joke, glancing up at them. Alex was still glaring at him and the Doctor merely looked at him. His laughter fades away and he looked down.

"Getting a hint of disapproval"

"Just a hint" Alex snapped in reply.

"Look around the room. This is what your 'harmless piece of space-junk' did" The Doctor told him, gesturing around.

"It was a burnt out medical transporter, it was empty" Jack insisted. The Doctor sent him a dark look and started off.

"Alex, Rose" He called as he was leaving. Jack watched Alex as she gave him one last glare before turning to follow the Doctor.

"We getting out of here?" Rose asked hopefully, meeting the two at the door.

"We're going upstairs" The Doctor told her.

"I even programmed the flight computer so it wouldn't land on anything living" Jack called out, standing. "I harmed no-one. I don't know what's happening here, but believe me I had nothing to do with it"

"I'll tell you what's happening" Alex returned darkly, turning. "You forgot to set your alarm clock. It's volcano day" A siren went off in the distance and Rose looked around.

"What's that?" She asked.

"The all-clear" Jack told her.

"I wish" The Doctor corrected. He turned and walked out of the ward, Alex right behind him. Jack and Rose followed.

Alex was right behind the Doctor as he turned up a set of stairs and soon enough found the door they were looking for.

"Wanna try something?" The Doctor asked, glancing at her. Alex frowned as they heard Rose and Jack calling for them.

"Try what?"

They heard footsteps pass the stairs and the Doctor stuck his head out.

"Have you got a blaster?" He called down. The footsteps skidded to a halt and backtracked.

"Sure!" Jack confirmed happily. They ran up the stairs and stopped in front of the door. Jack glanced over at Alex, who was standing against the wall, looking anywhere but him.

"The night your space-junk landed, someone was hurt" The Doctor told them. "This is where they were taken"

"What happened?" Rose asked, glancing at the door.

"Let's find out" He nodded to Jack. "Get it open" Jack grinned as he pulled out his blaster and pointed it at the door. The Doctor stepped back, standing beside the girls.

"What's wrong with your sonic screwdriver?" Rose asked quietly.

"Nothing" He told her, also speaking so Jack couldn't hear. Jack's blaster fired up and there was suddenly a perfectly square hole where the lock was before.

"Sonic blaster, 51st century, weapon factories of Villenguard?" The Doctor asked.

"You've been to the factories?" Jack asked him as he took the blaster for a better look.

"Once" He and Alex spoke at once. She had actually gone between the time they met Rose and when they picked her up. She had actually loved it, despite the whole running-for-your-life thing. But that was everyday for her now.

"Well they're gone now. Destroyed. Main reactor went critical, vaporised the lot" Jack told them.

"Like we said, once" They said together, smiling as the Doctor handed the blaster back.

"There's a banana grove there now" The Doctor continued. "I like bananas. Bananas are good" He smiled at Jack like he hadn't just told him he'd blown up a factory, and headed inside with Alex close behind. The room looked absolutely trashed. The window separating the two parts of the room was smashed and things were thrown everywhere. They looked around for a moment until Jack and Rose joined them.

"What d'you think?" The Doctor asked, glancing back at Jack.

"Something got out of here" He stated.

"Yeah, and?" he prompted.

"Something powerful. Angry"

"Powerful and angry" He nodded, seeming satisfied. Jack moved to enter the connected room and looked around at the drawings and toys littering the room.

"A child? I suppose this explains 'mummy'" He commented.

"How could a child do this?" Rose asked, standing in the doorway. There was a click and suddenly there was another voice in the room.

"Do you know where you are?"

Alex looked around to see the Doctor standing in front of a tape recorder.

"Are you my mummy?" Jamie on the tape asked.

"Are you aware of what's around you?" The voice asked again. "Can you… see?"

"Are you my mummy?" The child asked in return.

"What do you want? Do you know-"

"I want my mummy" Jamie interrupted, almost angrily. "Are you my mummy? I want my mummy! Are you my mummy?" He kept going as the Doctor stepped into the other room, Alex staying close to him. She glanced around, frowning at the uncomfortable feeling in this part of the room.

"Doctor, we heard this voice before" Rose pointed out. "Always 'are you my mummy?'. It's like he doesn't know. Why doesn't he know?" Alex thought about it but she couldn't remember why he didn't know. The Doctor started pacing around the room and Alex growled to herself, hands on her head. If only she could _remember_!

"Doctor? Alex?" Rose asked worriedly.

"Can you sense it?" The Doctor asked suddenly. Alex snapped her fingers suddenly, pointing at him.

"You feel that too?" She asked, eyes wide. He nodded

"Sense what?" Jack asked, looking between them.

"Coming out of the walls, can you feel it?" The Doctor repeated. He stopped pacing, just as Alex started, turning to Jack and Rose. "Funny little human brains. How do you get around in those things?"

"When he's stressed he likes to insult species" Rose told Jack.

"Rose, I'm thinking" The Doctor returned, going back to pacing.

"Cuts himself shaving, does half an hour on life forms he cleverer than, then Alex turns 'round and calls him an idiot"

"Shut up, Rose" Alex snapped, annoyed. Jack blinked in surprise at the girl.

"She just insults people" Rose added.

"There are these children living rough around the bomb site. They come out during air-raids looking for food" The Doctor explained. "Suppose they were there when this thing, whatever it was, landed?"

"It was a med-ship, it was harmless" Jack insisted.

"Shut up, Jack" Alex said quickly, stopping on the other side of the room to bang her head against the wall. Rose rushed over and guided her into the middle of the room. Alex swatted her away but stayed where she was.

"Yes, you keep saying. 'Harmless'" The Doctor replied to Jack, unconvinced. "Suppose one of them was affected, altered?"

"Altered how?" Rose asked, still standing beside Alex as she muttered to herself with her hands on her head.

"It's afraid. Terribly afraid, and powerful" The Doctor continued. "It doesn't know it yet, but it will do" He laughed. "It's got the power of a god, and I just sent it to his room" Alex's head snapped up suddenly, hearing something.

"Doctor…" Rose spoke slowly.

"I'm here, can't you see me?" Jamie's voice continued.

"What's that noise?"

Alex moved slowly as the Doctor's smile faded, wrapping an arm around Rose and moving her to her other side.

"The tape" Alex whispered, horrified that she had forgotten.

"End of the tape" The Doctor agreed. "It ran out about 40 seconds ago"

"I'm here, now. Can't you see me?"

"I sent it to its room. This is its room"

They all spun around to find Jamie standing by the tape machine, looking at them.

"Are you my mummy?" He asked, tilting his head and considering Alex for a moment. "Mummy?"

"Doctor?" Rose called, scared. She remained behind Alex, looking tentatively over her shoulder.

"Okay…" Jack spoke slowly. "On my signal, make for the door. Now!" He pulled out a banana, pointing it at the child over the Doctor's shoulder. He grinned, pulling out another banana, frowning then. Alex pulled out Jack's blaster, pointing it at the wall beside her and making a large square hole.

"Go! Now! Don't drop the bananas!" She shouted to them as they ran.

"Why not?" Jack shouted back as he was climbing through the hole.

"Good source of potassium!" She told him matter of factly, taking the Doctor's offered hand as she jumped out last.

"Give me that!" Jack said quickly, snatching the blaster from her hand and pointing it at the wall just as Jamie was approaching it. All of a sudden the wall appeared again.

"Digital rewind" He explained, tossing the banana in has hand to the Doctor. "Nice switch" The Doctor looked at both of the bananas and raised an eyebrow at Alex.

"What?" She shrugged.

"Where did you get this?" He asked, holding up the one from his pocket.

"It was in my jacket" She shrugged. She had gotten him to fix her jacket ages ago so that the pockets were bigger on the inside. "You stuck it in there a week ago" She reminded him, turning to Jack then. "They're from the groves of Villenguard. Thought it was appropriate" She explained.

"There's really a banana grove in the heart of Villenguard, and you did that?" Jack asked incredulously, looking between the two.

"Bananas are good" The Doctor shrugged happily.

"I just wanted to blow up the factory" Alex admitted. There was a sudden bang and the wall Jack had just sealed cracked. Alex jumped, one hand grabbing at the Doctor's sleeve while the other held Rose's.

"Doctor!" Rose cried, staring at the cracked plaster.

"Come on!" He shouted to them all, taking off. They ran down a short flight of stairs and kept going until they were stopped by a large group of gas-masked people coming out of one of the wards, calling 'mummy' on repeat. They turned and backtracked hastily, Alex tugging on Rose's hand as they went. They were stopped by another group of gas-masked people and turned back to find they were cornered. Right in front of the cracked wall with Jamie on the other side.

"It's keeping us here so it can get at us" The Doctor realised.

"It's controlling them?" Jack asked, blaster in hand and pointing it three different directions in turn. Alex pulled Rose behind her, standing in front of the cracking wall with Jack and the Doctor on either side of them.

"It is them" The Doctor corrected. "It's every living thing in this hospital"

"Except us. And I'd like to keep it that way" Alex reminded them.

"Okay" Jack nodded. "This can function as a sonic blaster, a sonic canon and a triple-enfolded sonic disrupter. Doc, what you got?"

"A sonic… er, never mind" The Doctor had taken his sonic screwdriver out and was staring at it disappointedly. Alex rolled her eyes. _I knew that'd come back to haunt you sooner or later._

"What?"

"It's sonic okay? Let's leave it at that" The Doctor told him, turning to the group of gas-masked people on his side.

"Disrupter? Cannon? What?" Jack insisted.

"It's sonic! Totally sonic! I am soniced up!"

"A sonic what?!"

"SCREWDRIVER!" Alex shouted, fed up with their arguing. Jack turned, looking at the Doctor in disbelief. Jamie finally managed to make a hole in the wall and began to climb through.

"Going down!" Rose declared, grabbing Jack's wrist and pointing downwards and suddenly the floor was gone. They all fell through the hole in a tumbled heap and Alex felt something underneath her as Jack used the digital rewind. She closed her eyes, cursing her luck as she was sure she knew exactly what it was.

"Doctor?" She asked quietly.

"Yeah?"

Alex had landed on the Doctor. She stumbled off him quickly, muttering apologies as she tried to get to her feet.

"Doctor, Alex are you okay?" Rose asked through the dark.

"Could've used a warning" They muttered in unison.

"Oh, the gratitude"

Alex could practically _hear_ her rolling her eyes.

"Who has a sonic screwdriver?" Jack asked skeptically.

"I do!" The Doctor defended.

"But he won't give me one" Alex added.

"Light!" Rose called, stumbling around the walls.

"You don't need one" The Doctor reminded her, ignoring Rose.

"Could've used a sonic blaster. Just picked one up while we were running for our lives back in Villenguard"

"No"

"Who looks at a screwdriver and thinks 'ooh, this could be a little more sonic'?" Jack mocked, giving Alex a weird look as she spoke the end along with him. She laughed.

"Sorry, that was always my favourite bit" She giggled. The Doctor simply rolled his eyes while Jack looked incredibly confused.

"There's gotta be a light switch!" Rose continued, even though no one was listening to her.

"Never had a long night? Never had a lot of cabinets to put up?" The Doctor asked, trying to defend his precious screwdriver.

"Seriously though, why a screwdriver?" Alex asked him. Rose finally found a light switch and the second it was turned on every person in the room sat up in a collective chorus of 'mummy'. Alex pulled Rose back towards them.

"Door" Jack ordered quickly. They all got to the locked door just as the patients were climbing out of bed. Jack tried to blast the door open but stepped back after a moment, cursing and smacking a hand against the side of his weapon. The Doctor stepped up with his sonic screwdriver as he complained

"It's the special features. They really drain the battery" He told them.

"The battery?!" Rose questioned, looking at the object in disbelief. The Doctor got the door open and they all ran in. "That's so lame" The Doctor slammed the door shut behind them and locked it quickly. Jack ran over to the window on the other end of the small room.

"I was gonna send for another one but someone's gotta go and blow up the factory" Jack accused, glaring at the two responsible. The Doctor wasn't paying attention but Alex simply grinned as if proud of herself.

"Oh I know" Rose agreed. "First day I met them. He blew up my job. It's practically how they communicate"

"Okay, that should hold for a bit" The Doctor told them, finishing with the door.

"The door? The wall didn't stop it!" Jack reminded him.

"Well it's gotta find us first. Come on, we're not done yet. Assets! Assests!" The Doctor encouraged.

"Well I've got a banana, and in a pinch you can put up some shelves" Jack listed.

"Hey, don't underestimate shelves" Alex told him with her best 'serious face'. "Shelves are very important"

"Window" The Doctor muttered to himself, walking over to it.

"Barred, sheer drop outside. Seven stories" Jack told him.

"And no other exits" Rose noted.

"Well the assets conversation went in a flash, didn't it?" Jack mocked. The Doctor looked at him for a second before turning to Alex.

"So where'd you pick this one up then?"

"Doctor…" She warned.

"She was hanging from a barrage balloon, I had an invisible spaceship. I never stood a chance" Jack told them with a fake dreamy expression. Rose bit her lip to keep from laughing while Alex refused to look in the direction of either man. The Doctor turned away, pacing.

"Okay, one, we want to get out of here. Two, we can't get out of here. Have I missed anything?"

"Yeah… Jack just disappeared" Rose added, making him turn. Jack's chair was, in fact, empty. Alex sighed and sat up on the bench, pressed into the corner. She pulled her legs up to her chest and put her head down on her crossed arms, closing her eyes as she waited.

* * *

The Doctor was sitting in a chair beside the bench where Alex sat a bit away. She didn't move from her corner, but she had looked up now, her head propped on her hand with her elbow on her knee. Rose wandered over and leaned against the bench beside where the Doctor sat.

"Okay, so he's vanished into thin air" She sighed. "Why is it always the great looking ones who do that?" The Doctor looked up at her even as Alex smirked in amusement.

"I'm making an effort not to be insulted" He told her blankly, looking back down.

"I mean… men" She tried again.

"Okay, thanks. That really helped" The Doctor smiled sarcastically up at her. Alex snorted in amusement. The radio across the room crackled to life and they all looked up.

"Alex? Rose? Doctor? Can you hear me?"

Rose and the Doctor ran over to it while Alex simply moved forward to sit on the edge of the bench.

"I'm back on my ship" Jack told them through the radio. "Used the emergency teleport. Sorry I couldn't take you" The Doctor held up the ends of the ripped wires from the radio and glanced back at Alex, who was grinning in amusement at his confusion. "It's security-keyed to my molecular structure" Jack continued. "But I'm working on it. Hang in there"

"How're you speaking to us?" The Doctor asked, curious and confused. A great combination.

"Om-Com. I can call anything with a speaker grille" Jack filled him in.

"Now there's a coincidence"

"What is?" Now Jack was curious and confused.

"The child can Om-Com too"

"It can too" Rose remembered.

"Anything with a speaker grille. Even the Tardis phone" The Doctor added, nodding.

"So this child can call us?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow.

"And I can hear you" Jamie spoke through the radio. Alex jumped, staring at the object with wide eyes as the boy continued in a sing-song voice. "Coming to find you. Coming to fiiiiind you"

"Doctor, can you head that?" Jack asked

"Loud and clear" he responded.

"A lot better than I'd hope" Alex called over.

"I'll try to block out the signal. Least I can do"

"Coming to find you, mummy!"

"Remember this one, Alex?"

There was suddenly a nice old song playing and the Doctor and Rose turned to find Alex looking at the floor, blushing furiously. She glanced up, embarrassed.

"Our song, I guess" She excused weakly. The Doctor nodded, but he didn't seem very okay with it. Alex looked back down, avoiding another one of Rose's knowing looks.

* * *

Alex was sat on the floor in front of the shelf that held the radio, listening to the song Jack had been playing while Rose shuffled around in the old wheel chair and the Doctor was stood on the bench, buzzing his sonic screwdriver at the concrete around the barred window.

"What are you doing?" Rose asked him.

"Trying to set up a resonation pattern in the concrete, loosen the bars" The Doctor told her, still working. Alex looked up at him.

"You don't trust him, do you?" She asked, attracting his gaze.

"Wouldn't bet my life" He returned.

"Why don't you trust him?"

"Why do you?"

Alex paused for a second and Rose glanced at her, also seeming to want to know the answer.

"Other than the fact that he saved my life, and I've seen the future from all this…" She glanced between the Doctor and Rose, who waited for her to continue. "I trust him because he's like you. Except with dating and dancing" The Doctor glanced back at her, looking almost offended and like he wanted to say something before turning away again.

"What?" She asked, trying to act curious. Truth be told, she knew exactly what he was about to say, and she was hoping he would, in fact, say it. If the Doctor danced with her instead of Rose, that would mean...

"You just assume I'm…" He trailed off, shaking his head.

"What?" Alex asked again. By now Rose was looking between the two with wide eyes.

"You just assume I don't… dance" He said quietly. Alex couldn't help but grin.

"You're telling me you do… dance?" She asked quietly. She'd never tell anyone, but her innocent mind was wondering if they actually _were_ talking about dancing.

"Nine hundred years old, me. I've been around a bit. I think you can assume at some point I've danced" He pointed out.

"You?"

"Problem?"

"What, so the universe won't implode or something if you dance?" Alex teased lightly.

"Well I've got the moves, but I wouldn't want to boast" He commented off-handedly. Alex paused, now actively wondering what they were both meaning by _dancing._ She glanced at Rose. 'Are we talking about dancing or _dancing_?' She mouthed silently to her friend. Rose's eyes got wider and she covered her mouth with her hand, trying to keep from laughing. Alex's own eyes widened in almost panic as she shot a look to the Doctor to make sure he wasn't paying attention.

 _'Dancing_ ' Rose mouth back with a wink. Alex had to focus hard to breathe normally. Rose gestured to the Doctor and Alex shook her head quickly. 'I don't mean _dancing'_ Rose mouth silently to her. 'Just dancing' Alex hesitated, glancing at the Doctor again before looking back at Rose. The blonde rolled her eyes and stood from the wheelchair, walking over to pull her friend to her feet and turn the music up. The Doctor glanced over his shoulder slightly and turned quickly back to the concrete when he saw Rose attempting to push Alex in his direction.

"Go on then" Rose said out loud, giving her friend one final push. "Show us your moves" The Doctor glanced back at her and then at Alex, who was stood behind him nervously.

"Rose, I'm trying to resonate concrete" He told her uncertainly, watching Alex for a moment, trying to decide if she actually wanted to, before she held her hand up to him.

"Jack'll be back. He'll get us out. Come on, the world doesn't end because the Doctor dances" Alex smiled. He switched off the sonic screwdriver with a click, turning and jumping down off the bench to stand in front of her. He took her hands slowly and she looked up at him nervously as he turned them over.

"Barrage balloon?" He asked, still inspecting her hands. Rose looked confused but Alex simply smiled up at him.

"You bet. 'Bout two minutes since I saw you, hanging over London, holding a damn rope, in the middle of a German air raid" She explained, smiling like she was proud of herself.

"I thought you were afraid of heights?"

"You're afraid of heights?" Rose asked, glancing at her.

"Oh, yeah" Alex nodded. "Mm hm. Just ask Jack, hyperventilating on his ship. It was pititful" The Doctor raised his eyebrows.

"I've travelled with a lot of people but you're setting new records for jeopardy-friendly" He told her. He paused a moment, looking lost in thought and Alex frowned in concern.

"Doctor?" She called, bringing him back to Earth.

"Well, um, there was one a lot like you. She's gone now" He said quickly. Alex simply nodded slowly, wondering exactly who he was talking about.

"Is this you two dancing 'cos I've got notes" Rose spoke up, watching the two amusedly. Alex blushed slightly but rolled her eyes while the Doctor glanced at her and then back at Alex.

"Hanging from a rope a thousand feet above London, not a cut, not a bruise" He pointed out, getting back on point. Alex glanced down at her hands, inspecting them herself with a nod.

"Yeah I know, Captain Jack fixed me up" She smiled.

"Oh we're calling him Captain Jack now, are we?" The Doctor asked skeptically.

"Well, his name's Jack. And he's a Captain…"

"He's not really a Captain, Alex"

Alex bit her lip and looked down to keep from laughing at his self-satisfied smirk. He couldn't be… No…

"You know what I think?" She asked cheekily as she looked up. "I think you're experiencing Captain envy" The Doctor didn't answer but took her hands, beginning a half-hearted attempt at dancing.

"You'll find your feet at the end of your legs, you may care to move them" Rose suggested to the two, grinning madly. Alex glanced up to find the Doctor was closer than she remembered a moment ago and she looked down to try and hide her blush.

"If he ever was a captain, he's been defrocked" The Doctor continued. Alex laughed.

"Yeah? Shame I missed that"

"Actually, I quit. Nobody takes my frock"

Alex looked around to find she was in Jack's ship, with him and Rose standing side-by-side, grinning at them. The Doctor stepped away slightly and Alex quickly looked away from the pair watching them.

"Most people notice when they've been teleported. You guys are so sweet" Jack teased, grinning as Alex moved to sit at the back of the ship where no one would see her blushing. "Sorry about the delay. I had to take the nav-com offline to override the teleport security"

"You can spend ten minutes overriding your own protocols?" The Doctor asked incredulously. "Maybe you should remember whose ship it is"

"Oh I do. She was _gorgeous_." Jack grinned in reply. "Like I told her. Be back in five minutes" He ducked down under the controls and Alex lifted her head slightly to try and see over the captain's chair.

"This is a Chula ship" The Doctor realised, looking around. Alex glanced around also, realising she should have remembered that.

"Yeah, just like that medical transporter" Jack called up. "Only this one _is_ dangerous" The Doctor snapped his fingers and a cloud of lit up nanogenes surrounded his hand. Alex grinned, standing and making her way over.

"What are those?" Rose asked in wonder.

"They're the things that fixed my hands" Alex told her. "They're called nanogenes. They repair the body basically"

"Sub-atomic robots" The Doctor agreed. "There's millions of them in here, you see?" He glanced at Alex a moment and she grinned, shaking her head in amusement at the man. "Burned my hand on the console when we landed, all better now. They activate when the bulk-head's sealed. Check you out for damage, fix any physical flaws" The Doctor waved his hand to shoo the nanogenes away.

"Your face is still the same though" Alex couldn't help but say. He faked a look of offence and she laughed. He shook his head at her, smiling still, before turning to Jack.

"Take us to the crash site. I need to see your space-junk" He told him seriously. Alex snorted in amusement and Rose started laughing when she realised what was so funny. Both girls laughed as Jack told him he needed to fix the nav-com.

"Make yourself comfortable" He suggested, standing beside the controls. "Carry on with whatever it was you were… doing" he gestured between the Doctor and Alex, the latter falling silent with wide eyes at Jack's suggestive smirk.

"We were talking about dancing" The Doctor defended innocently.

"Didn't look like talking"

"Didn't look like dancing either" Rose added. The Doctor looked back at her, glancing at Alex, who refused to look at him in embarrassment.

* * *

"What did I do?"

Alex looked up with a small frown, twirling one of the wires from the control panel between her fingers.

"What do you mean?" She asked Jack. The Doctor and Rose were on the other end of the ship, talking about whatever, and Alex was sat beside Jack while he restored the nav-com.

"I mean, you were obviously upset with me earlier. I noticed that much" He pointed out. Alex looked down at her feet, ashamed of how obvious she had made herself. "What'd I do?" Alex sighed, shaking her head slightly.

"It's stupid. I- I'm fine" She tried to tell him, brushing her hair behind her ear hurriedly, causing it to fall back out again.

"Hey" He called gently. Alex looked up. "Tell me" She hesitated, looking down again before forcing herself to meet his eyes as she spoke.

"When you thought I was a time agent, you were flirting with me. Trying to get me to make a deal with you" She pointed out. He frowned slightly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realise, I can-"

"That's not it" She shook her head, making his frown deeper.

"What is it then? Please?" He added at her hesitation.

"It's- well" She sighed in frustration, running a hand through her hair. "You stopped when we went to meet the Doctor. You looked at me like… I dunno, it just felt like… Like you stopped because I couldn't make you a deal. I felt like… I felt like I'd been used" She explained hesitantly, her voice becoming quieter as she went. She looked down at her feet again as she finished.

"Oh, Alex"

"I know, it's stupid, I'm sorry, I-"

"I'm so sorry"

Alex looked up quickly, surprised.

"What?"

"I said, I'm sorry" He repeated. "I never want anyone to feel that way, okay? I may be a conn man but I have standards" He gave her a soft smile and she returned with one of her own.

"You may be a conn man, but you have different reasons for it" She reminded him. "You do have morals, you're still a great man Jack. And one day, if we're lucky, you might even be a good one" He smiled genuinely at her and Alex couldn't help but smile back, giggling softly at his adorable enthusiasm.

"You are possibly single-handedly the best person I have ever met" He told her happily.

"And the flirting again" Alex rolled her eyes jokingly, making him laugh. There was a beeping from the computer and Alex glanced over.

"Okay, we're good to go" Jack spoke up so everyone heard. The Doctor and Rose both looked up at him. "Crash site?"

* * *

 **I can has reviews...?**


	20. Space Ambulance

Alex found herself walking beside Jack when they reached the bombsite, much to the discomfort of the Doctor. They reached the place they were looking for and stopped a good distance away, peering carefully over a pile of crates and other random things Alex didn't bother to notice.

"There it is" Jack told them. "They've got Algy on duty, must be important"

"How could they not think something like that is important?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow at him. He hesitated.

"Shut up" He said suddenly, watching her reaction just in case. Alex laughed.

"We've gotta get past" The Doctor pointed out, breaking up their interaction.

"The words 'distract the guard' head in my general direction" Rose guessed, smiling almost smugly.

"I don't think that's be such a good idea" Jack told her cautiously.

"Don't worry, I can handle it"

"I've got to know Algy quite well since I've been in town" Jack told her. "Trust me. You're not his type. I'll distract him" He started to walk down to the site. "Don't wait up" Alex let out an incredulous laugh, looking over at Rose and the Doctor with a grin.

"Relax, he's a 51st century guy" The Doctor reminded Rose. "He's just a bit more flexible when it comes to dancing" Rose looked at him with wide eyes.

"How flexible?"

"Well by his time you lot have spread out halfway across the galaxy"

"Meaning?"

"So many species, so little time" He grinned. Alex shook her head, looking away in discomfort.

"What, that's what we do when we get out there?" Rose asked, looking just as uncomfortable if not more. "That's out mission? We seek new life and… and…"

"Dance" The Doctor and Alex finished at once. They continued grinning while Rose looked like she was trying desperately to remove a certain image from her head. They watched Jack talking to the guard until suddenly he fell to his knees and his face changed drastically. Alex gasped in surprise, having completely forgotten about Algy, and grabbed the Doctor's sleeve out of instinct.

"Come on" He told the girls quickly, running down towards Jack, who was stood above the body. Other soldiers were rushing over but Jack and the Doctor told them quickly to stay back.

"The effect's become air-borne, accelerarting" The Doctor pointed out.

"What's keeping us safe?" Rose asked, looking at him in worry.

"Nothing" He admitted. The air-raid siren sounded and everyone looked up, all except Alex.

"Ah, here they come again" Jack announced.

"All we need" Rose said sarcastically, looking to him. "Didn't you say a bomb was going to land… here?" Jack nodded in response. Alex turned away slightly, trying to hide her face from their view.

"Never mind about that" The Doctor waved off. "If the contaminant is air-borne now there's hours left"

"For what?" Jack asked, looking at him almost apprehensively.

"'Till nothing. 'Til forever. For the entire human race. Alex?" He moved to turn her to face him, placing a hand on each of her shoulders when he saw her tear-stained face. "Alex? What's wrong?" She shook her head.

"It wasn't supposed to… I… I failed, already… oh, god" She muttered incoherently.

"Alex tell me? What's wrong?" The Doctor asked seriously. Alex looked up at him, locking her eyes on his.

"Rose, look at the back of your hand" She called, not looking away. The Doctor understood immediately and his expression filled with surprise but he didn't look away from Alex, who was still crying.

"Oh my god" Rose whispered. Her and Jack exchanged horrified looks as Alex let out another sob.

"I'm sorry. Rose, I'm so sorry. I was meant to protect you" She cried, not looking at anyone now.

"Alex" Rose called softly, making her look up. "This is not your fault. Is there anything we can do?" Alex thought for a moment, deciding how best to say it.

"Not now, we can't stop you from…" She couldn't finished she sentence, looking away, but took a deep breath and looked up again to continue. "But we can fix it. Okay? We can fix this" Rose nodded, glancing around at the three of them.

"I should go" She whispered.

"Rose…" The Doctor started.

"No, the others, they were changing everyone else. If I'm here I'll end up changing you too" She explained. Alex wouldn't look at her. "Alex, if you can't fix me-"

"We will"

"If you can't, this is not your fault, okay?" She insisted. Alex glanced up at her friend. "Not your fault. Please, don't blame yourself" Alex didn't respond. Rose nodded slowly, giving everyone one last glance before turning and rushing back the way they came. Alex refused to watch her, teary eyes focussed on the ground.

"Alex-"

"Can anyone else hear singing?" She interrupted.

* * *

Alex stood by Nancy as Jack and the Doctor pulled the large tarp from the ship.

"You see? Just an ambulance" Jack pointed out.

"That's an ambulance?" Nancy asked incredulously, glancing between the three.

"Long story" Alex dismissed, crossing her arms. "It's not from Earth"

"They've been trying to get in" Jack told them, looking over the controls.

"Why wouldn't they?" Alex asked with a shrug. Jack glanced at her worriedly before going back to the controls.

"They think they've got their hands on Hitler's latest secret weapon" The Doctor nodded, turning to Jack as he sat atop the ambulance and entered something into the controls. "What're you doing?"

"Well, the sooner you see this thing is empty, the sooner you'll see that I had nothing to do with it" He told him simply.

"I thought we were past this Jack" Alex said loudly, making Nancy beside her flinch, but she didn't seem to notice. "Something like this happens, you look for the most recent alien interaction, and that just happened to be a Chula medical transporter. So if you'd get your head out of-"

"Alex" The Doctor interrupted, stepping in front of her cautiously. "Alex, calm down"

"How do you expect me to be calm? Rose is gone!" She continued shouting, gesturing wildly. "She's gone and it's because of this thing! Because I couldn't protect her!"

"It had nothing to do with you"

"I was supposed to protect her! I made a promise! I…" she trailed off, suddenly falling silent. "I made Jackie a promise" She whispered. "And I…"

There was a shower of sparks and an alarm went off and drew their attention back to Jack atop the ship. Or Jack having fallen off the ship.

"That didn't happen last time" He said slowly.

"It hadn't crashed last time" The Doctor reminded him. "They're the emergency protocols"

"Doctor" Nancy spoke up hesitantly. "What…what's that?" She pointed out a small light on the controls, flashing red.

"Doctor!" Alex spoke up suddenly, pointing out the gates on the other side that were shaking.

"Captain! Secure those gates!" The Doctor ordered.

"Why?"

"Just do it!"

Jack ran off to do as he was told and the Doctor turned to Nancy.

"Nancy, how did you get in here?" He asked quickly.

"I cut the wire"

"Show Alex" He ordered, tossing the sonic screwdriver which Alex caught easily. "Setting two thousand four hundred and twenty eight D" He told her quickly.

"Got it" She nodded, tossing the screwdriver in the air and catching it before running off to follow Nancy.

* * *

Alex was focussing closely on her task, watching as the wire re-attached with help of the sonic screwdriver as Nancy held the pieces together. She tried to keep her mind only on the tool in her hand but it was much easier said than done.

"Who are you?" Nancy asked almost tentatively. "Who are any of you?"

"You'd never believe me" Alex dismissed. Nancy looked back down, quiet for a moment. Alex glanced at her. "You're… are you… scared of me?" She asked hesitantly. Nancy just looked back at her and Alex paused her task, thinking over the time since they'd met. "This wasn't supposed to be me" She said softly, lowering the screwdriver. "I've seen all this happen before I came here, how the story would end without me. This was supposed to be Rose"

"The girl I met before" Nancy remembered. "Where is she?" Alex hesitated.

"She's gone" She told her. "She got turned into one of them. And it's my fault" Nancy looked ready to argue, but said nothing. "I was supposed to protect her. And now this has happened" There was a moment of silence and Alex cleared her throat, lifting the screwdriver to get back to work and Nancy got the hint, holding together the next pieces of wire.

"You say I wouldn't believe you" Nancy started. "You just told me that was an ambulance not from Earth, you tell me you've seen this happen without you in the middle of it, there are people running around with gas mask heads calling for their mummies, and the sky's full of Germans dropping bombs on me. Tell me, do you think there's anything left I couldn't believe?" Alex looked over at her for a moment before returning her attention to the last wire as she spoke.

"I'm from another universe and we're all time travellers from the future" She told her simply.

"Mad, you are" Nancy told her.

"No really" Alex insisted calmly. "We have a time travel machine and everything"

"It's not that. All right, you've got a time travel machine. I believe ya. Believe anything, me" She looked up. "But what future?" Alex smiled softly at the other girl as she watched the planes flying overhead, dropping bombs all over the city.

"Nancy. This is not the end of the world" She told her firmly. "I've been to the end of the world, and there are no people left on the planet by then. It's not now"

"How can you say that? Look at it"

"Listen to me Nancy. I moved to London a little over a year ago. Rose, she was born there. London, in the future"

"But… you're not… your friend wasn't…"

"Not what?"

"German"

"Nancy, the Germans don't take London. They don't win this war" Alex told her, smiling softly. Nancy frowned at her, seemingly confused. "Okay, don't tell anyone I told you this. But we win this war"

"We win?"

"Yeah" Alex nodded, smiling as the girl laughed in joy. "Something to remember. This won't last forever" She told the girl. "And I know you've been doing great things throughout this war. It'll end up alright. Come on then" She stood, pulling Nancy up with her before pausing. Alex suddenly remembered, staring at Nancy a moment too long. "Jamie" She said suddenly. Nancy froze, staring at her.

"How did you-"

"You have to tell him. Tell Jamie who you are" Alex told her. Nancy's shock doubled.

"You can't possibly-"

"Not even the Doctor knows. Perks of swapping universes" Alex told her. "But he'll figure it out. And you're going to have to tell him" Nancy didn't respond but Alex simply gave her one last encouraging nod and walked over to the Doctor and Jack, the other woman following behind.

"What do you expect in a Chula medical transporter?" The Doctor was asking. "Bandages? Cough drops? Alex?"

"Nanogenes" She announced instantly.

"It wasn't empty Captain" The Doctor told Jack. "There was enough nanogenes in there to rebuild a species"

"And that's exactly what they've been doing" Alex added. Jack looked shaken by this revelation, looking between the two.

"Oh, god"

"Getting it now are we?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"When the ship crashes, the nanogenes escape" The Doctor continued for her. "Billions upon billions of them, ready to fix all the cuts and bruises in the whole world. But what they find first is a dead child, probably killed earlier that night and wearing a gas mask"

"A child named Jamie" Alex added.

"And they brought him back to life? They can do that?" Nancy asked, looking between the two with the answers. _Like Rose always did…_

"What's life? Life's easy. A quirk of matter. Nature's way of keeping meat fresh" The Doctor rattled off.

"Little creepy" Alex commented.

"Nothing to a nanogene" He continued. "One problem though, these nanogenes, they aren't like the ones on your ship. This lot have never seen a human being before. They don't know what a human being's supposed to look like. All they've got to go on is one little body, and there's not a lot left. But they carry right on, they do what they're programmed to do, they patch it up. Can't tell what's gas mask and what's skull, but they do their best. Then off they fly, off they go, there's work to be done. 'Cos you see now they think they know what people should look like, and it's time to fix all the rest. And they won't ever stop. They won't ever, ever stop" His voice was getting louder now, turning from explaining facts to just about yelling at Jack for what he had inadvertently done. "The entire human race is gonna be torn down and rebuilt in the form of one terrified child looking for its mother, and nothing in the world can stop it"

"I didn't know" Jack insisted, although he now looked incredibly guilty. The Doctor continued to glare at him for a second and Alex stepped forward, placing a hand gently on his shoulder. She felt him relax slightly under her hand as he glanced back at her before going back to looking over the ship, taking the screwdriver as she offered it to him.

"Alex?" Nancy called hesitantly. She looked up at the other girl's scared tone and made her way over, looking out into the distance to see what she was looking at. Alex squinted slightly into the distance, taking in the sight of all the gas-masked people heading their way. Alex rushed back over to the Doctor, looking at the red flashing light Nancy had noticed before.

"It's calling in the troops" Alex warned him.

"The ship thinks it's under attack. Standard protocol" The Doctor reasoned.

"But… those people aren't troops" Nancy spoke up, but her statement sounded more like a question.

"They are now" Alex told her matter-of-factly.

"This is a battlefield ambulance. The nanogenes don't just fix you up. They get you ready for the front line" The Doctor explained. "Equip you… programme you" He looked almost like he was zoning out and Alex frowned at him. She waved her hand in front of his face and his gaze snapped to her. Alex went to ask what he had been thinking of, but decided against it, instead filing the information away for later.

"It's a fully equipped Chula warrior" She summarized. He nodded.

"All that weapons tech in the hands of a hysterical four year old, looking for his mummy. And there's an army of them" The fence was surrounded by now and the four of them looked around nervously. Alex turned on the spot, tuning out the conversation going on around her as she searched for one person in particular. She froze when her gaze was caught on a Union Jack pattern. She simply stared, eyes wide, at the one person. Rose was gone.

A bomb landed nearby, startling Alex out of her daze as she looked around at the other three inside the fence with her. Nancy was crying and the Doctor had his thinking face while Jack had been paying attention to the bomb.

"Doctor, that bomb. We've got seconds" Jack called. Another landed and Alex wanted nothing more in that moment than to comfort Rose like she had gotten used to doing in dangerous situations.

"You can teleport yourself out" Alex reminded Jack.

"Not you guys. The nav-com's back online. It's gonna take too long to override the protocols" He told her.

"I didn't say anything about us" She said simply. He stared at her in shock, but her gaze was unwavering.

"So it's volcano day. Do what you gotta do" The Doctor told Jack, his eyes still fixed on Nancy. Jack looked to Alex, an apology in his gaze, and teleported out.

"How old were you five years ago?" The Doctor asked, never looking away from the woman in front of him. "Fifteen? Sixteen? Old enough to give birth anyway" Nancy, who was still crying, glanced up at the two now stood side-by-side, and looked down again, ashamed. "He's not your brother is he?" Nancy shook her head, refusing to look at them. "A teenage single mother in 1941. So you hid. You lied" Nancy nodded. "You even lied to him"

The gates swung open revealing the army of gas-masked people, Jamie at the forefront of them all.

"Are you my mummy?"

"He's gonna keep asking Nancy. He's never gonna stop" The Doctor told her gently.

"Remember what I said" Alex joined in, making Nancy look up at her. "You've got to tell him" She didn't respond.

"Nancy, the future of the human race is in your hands" The Doctor took over. "Trust us"

"And tell him" Alex finished. Jamie started towards them.

"Are you my mummy?"

The Doctor gave Nancy a gentle push in his direction.

"Are you my mummy? Are you my mummy?"

"Yes" Nancy whispered, then stronger. "Yes. I _am_ your mummy" Jamie continued forward.

"Mummy?"

"I'm here"

"Are you my mummy?"

Nancy kneeled down in front of him as he stopped walking.

"I'm here?"

"Are you my mummy?"

"Yes" Nancy whispered.

"He doesn't understand" The Doctor told Alex softly. "There's not enough of him left" Nancy looked at her little boy sadly a moment.

"I am your mummy. I will always be your mummy. I am so sorry" Nancy told Jamie sincerely. She wrapped him up in a hug, no longer caring what would happen if she'd touched him. The nanogenes surrounded them, making the two glow in a golden light.

"Doctor, is it-" Alex began.

"Shh" He cut her off, holding up a hand. The pair stared intently at the mother and son, apprehensive but excited for what might happen.

"Come on please" The Doctor whispered. "Come on you clever little nanogenes, figure it out! The mother. She's the mother! There's gotta be enough information, figure it out!"

"Are they…?"

"Recognising the same DNA" The Doctor confirmed, grinning down at Alex. "You see?" Nancy suddenly fell away from the boy and the nanogenes scattered. Alex and the Doctor rushed over, the latter stopping in front of the boy and glancing back at her friend. The Doctor gave her a nod and she crouched down slightly, hands hovering over the boy.

"Come on. Give us a day like this" Alex begged softly. "Give us this one. Please" She slowly reached out, taking hold of the gas mask and pulled it off, revealing a confused Jamie underneath. She laughed happily, dropping the mask as she picked up the boy and spun around with him in her arms. "Yes!" She cried happily. "Welcome back Jamie!"

"Twenty years 'till pop music. You're gonna love it" The Doctor added, grinning.

"What happened?" Nancy asked, staring at her boy in wonder. Alex smiled at the boy in her arms as the Doctor explained about the parent DNA to Nancy.

"Hello, Jamie. I'm Alex" She told him softly.

"Hello, Alex" He said shyly, making her grin. Alex hugged the boy close, feeling a pang of sadness as she was reminded of another young boy. She placed him down gently, giving him a soft smile, even as tears were beginning in her eyes.

"Are you sad?" He asked, reaching up to place a hand on her cheek. The Doctor glanced down at her and Jamie as she nodded slowly.

"Yeah, you see, I had a little brother who looked a lot like you. I just miss him" She told the boy, brushing some of his hair away from his forehead.

"When I'm sad, I ask Nancy for a hug, and it makes me feel better. Do you want a hug?" He asked innocently. Alex nodded slowly again.

"Yeah, that'd be nice" She whispered, smiling when he moved forward to wrap his little arms around her neck. "I think Nancy might need a hug too" She whispered in his ear before pulling away. He moved to hug his mother, who was almost crying in happiness. The Doctor helped Alex to her feet and wrapped an arm around her shoulder as they watched the mother and child.

"Happy cry" She whispered with a smile. "Humany woomany" The Doctor shot her an amused smile. A bomb landed nearby and Alex's smile fell.

"Doctor, that bomb…"

"Taken care of it" He said simply.

"I know" She replied in a whisper. The two looked up as the bomb fell towards them and was suddenly stopped in mid-air by a blue light field. Alex was on the verge of tears when Jack appeared on the bomb.

"Doctor!" He called down.

"Good lad!" The Doctor praised, grinning.

"The bomb's already commenced detonation. I've put it in stasis but it won't last long" Jack told them.

"Change of plan. Don't need the bomb. Can you get rid of it? Safely as you can?"

"Alex?"

Alex looked up at Jack, tears brimming and he gave her a sad smile.

"Goodbye"

He disappeared and Alex looked down, letting out a slow shuddering breath as she fought to not openly cry after everything that had happened that evening. Jack reappeared after a moment and Alex looked back up.

"By the way, nice jacket" He commented grinning, Alex couldn't help but smile in return, shaking her head at the man. Jack disappeared again and his ship zoomed away. Alex watched as it left before turning back to the Doctor, who was standing a few paces away, staring intently at his hands. He summoned a cluster of nanogenes and watched as they surrounded his hands.

"Doctor? What're you doing?" She asked, stepping closer slightly at the sight of the robots.

"Software patch. Gonna email the upgrade" He explained, grinning. "You want moves, Alex? I'll give you moves" He pulled back slightly and made a motion to throw the nanogenes away from him, to the gas-masked people still standing around the tracks. They fell to the ground, all suddenly real people again and Alex laughed in joy, jumping up and down as the Doctor beamed at the sight before them.

"Everybody lives Alex! Just this once!"

"Everybody lives!" They shouted together. Alex jumped forward and the two hugged quickly before both rushing over to the people who were beginning to stand now. The Doctor ran over to Doctor Constantine while Alex moved around the fenced area, helping people to their feet and searching the area for the one person she wanted to see above all.

"Alex!"

She looked up, wide eyes connecting with her best friend's. The two grinned and Alex started running, Rose laughing as she did the same and they met in the middle, laughing joyfully and hugging each other tightly.

"I'm sorry" Alex whispered to her, holding the other girl tightly

"You knew" Rose whispered back. "You knew I'd be alright. It wasn't your fault" Alex pulled away, grinning at her as she gripped the blonde's shoulders tightly.

"Everybody lives!" She declared happily.

"Everybody lives" Rose agreed, beaming at her.

"Right you lot!" The Doctor spoke up, making the girls look over to find him standing on the ambulance. "Lot's to do. Beat the Germans, save the world, don't forget the Welfare state!" Alex grabbed Rose by the hand and they ran back around the fence to stand in front of the Doctor, who was now messing with the controls.

"Setting this to self-destruct, soon as everyone's clear" he explained, seeing them from the corner of his eye. "History says there was an explosion here. Who am I to argue with history?"

"Usually the first in line" Rose returned matter-of-factly. The Doctor looked up at her, grinning, and slipped off the ambulance to land on his feet.

"Rose Tyler, you are fantastic!" He told her happily, picking her up in a hug. She laughed.

"Me? You guys brought me back!" She frowned slightly then, glancing around. "Where's Jack?" Neither answered, the Doctor going back to the controls of the ship and Alex looking at the ground.

Maybe not everyone…

* * *

"The nanogenes will clean up their mess and switch themselves off, because I told them to" The Doctor explained happily, leading the girls into the Tardis. "Nancy and Jamie will go to Doctor Constantine for help, ditto. All in all, all things considered"

"Fantastic!" Alex and the Doctor cried happily, both hitting a switch on the word. The grinned at each other.

"Look at you, beaming away like you're Father Christmas" Rose laughed.

"Who says I'm not? Red-bycicle-when-you-were-twelve" He responded quickly. Rose's smile faded into shock, blinking at him.

"What?"

"And everybody lives Rose! Everybody lives!" He pressed down on the bell, Alex laughing as it rang loudly. The Doctor grinned at her. "I need more days like this"

"Doctor…" Rose began hesitantly.

"Go on, ask me anything. I'm on fire!"

"What about Jack?"

The smiles faded from both Alex and the Doctor at the name and they fell silent, continuing to work.

"Alex said he said goodbye. Why'd he say goodbye?" She asked again. No one answered.

* * *

Jack leaned back in his seat with his drink, sighing as he accepted the inevitable. Then there was another noise, a song he knew playing in the background. He turned, finding a large blue box in the back of his ship that certainly hadn't been there before. Rose was standing in the doorway, gesturing him in.

"Well, hurry up then!" She called. Jack jumped up and ran inside, hesitating on the ramp as he looked up, taking in the console room in shock. Alex and the Doctor were by the console, stumbling through a dance as Rose stood to the side, trying to instruct them.

"Right, and turn…" She gestured as they tried, Alex squeaking in surprise as her arm got twisted and the Doctor let go quickly, apologising.

"Okay, okay. Try the spin again" Rose encouraged. "But this time, don't get her arm up her back" The Doctor looked away sheepishly and Alex gave him a small smile. "No extra points for a half-nelson"

"I'm sure I used to know this stuff" The Doctor shook his head, seeming rather put out. He looked to Jack then. "Close the door, will you. Your ship's about to blow up, there's gonna be a draft" Rose grinned as Jack closed the door and Alex and the Doctor moved to pilot them away.

"Welcome to the Tardis" They said in unison, Alex grinning at him.

"Much bigger on the inside…"

"You'd better be"

"Hey" Alex warned, hitting his arm lightly as they passed each other around the console. "Play nice. I think what the Doctor's trying to say is, you may cut in" She grinned, stopping in front of Jack and holding out a hand.

"Alex! I've just remembered!" The Doctor cried suddenly, making her turn.

"What?"

"I can dance!" He declared as the song changed to a faster, more upbeat tune and the lights all around the console room flashed in time with the music. He danced around a moment, clicking his fingers to the beat with a grin. Alex laughed.

"Actually Doctor, I think Jack might like this dance" She said slowly.

"I'm sure he would" The Doctor agreed, not even fazed. "But who with?" Alex laughed again. "He can dance with Rose" He told her, holding out a hand. Alex hopped over to take his hands, laughing happily as he spun her and they began dancing in the beat of the music.

"Much better" Alex commented as he spun her again. "I can't do slow" They danced on, Jack and Rose simply watching the two amusedly. They danced like they did almost everything, in perfect unison. Rose cheered as the two spun their way around the console. When the song neared its end the Doctor seemed to decide to try something. He spun Alex once more and dipped her down low, making her squeal in surprise. She was laughing and grabbing tightly at his jacket when he pulled her up, glancing over at Rose and Jack with an almost proud grin on his face.

"Again?" he asked hopefully, beaming at Alex. She nodded, grinning also as the song changed once more.

"Again" She agreed.

The four of them spent the rest of the night dancing around the console room and if you'd asked Alex years later what her most memorable or wonderful time on the Tardis was, that night would be the first thing on her mind.

* * *

 **It was pointed out to me that this chapter had been missing, so thanks to gwencarson126 (hoping I got the name right) I've fixed my oversight, and here you have it. Sorry about that, hope you enjoy :)**


	21. Et C'est Parti

**So if anyone has been keeping up with this story and came for the new chapter, what actually happened was I missed the end of The Doctor Dances, and I stuck it back in where it was supposed to be. So the chapter you wouldn't have seen is the one previous to this one. Sorry about that.**

* * *

Alex sat on the platform of grating around the room, the Doctor standing beside her. She wore her normal jeans with a denim jacket over a dark grey top. She had even topped it off with a pair of purple fingerless gloves and a purple scarf to match Rose. He was working on something with that dorky headlight on that was flashing red. Jack and Alex had teased him relentlessly about it as soon as he got it out but he hadn't seemed bothered by Jack until the point when Alex joined in. He'd taken it off with a sad pout and left it on the console as he climbed the ladder. Alex had picked it up and climbed up to follow, placing back on him herself, telling him that it made him look like a dork, but that was because he was a dork. He smiled as she switched it on and went back to work happily.

Alex looked up at him now, grinning when he looked back down at her and he returned the grin quickly. Jack and Rose were down by the console talking, but Alex truthfully wasn't paying much attention to them.

"Alex?" The Doctor called. She looked up and stood as he searched around himself. "Have you seen my…" He trailed off when Alex held the sonic screwdriver up in front of him. He shook his head slightly as she grinned at him, taking the tool with a quick 'thanks'.

"So what're you fixing exactly?" She asked, leaning on the wall beside him with her arms crossed. He looked up at her and hesitated. Alex raised an eyebrow, knowing this was when he'd normally say she wasn't smart enough to understand. If she was any other person of course, he'd never said anything of the like to her, and she doubted he ever would. He glanced at the wires in his hand and back at her, looking like he'd finally thought of something to say when someone knocked on the door.

Alex frowned, pushing off the wall to stand on the edge of the platform, watching as Jack moved to answer the door.

"Careful" The Doctor warned, looking at her over his shoulder. She waved at him to be quiet as Jack opened the door and leaned in the doorframe, obstructing her view. She could barely make out Jack's voice and another from where she stood, but she already knew who they'd come to see.

"Get out of my way!" Mickey snapped, pushing past Jack into the Tardis. Alex beamed at the sight of him.

"Don't tell me, this must be Mickey" Jack noted, closing the door and walking back into the room.

"Ricky!" Alex cried excitedly.

"Here comes trouble!" The Doctor added cheerily. "How're you doing Ricky boy?"

"It's Mickey!" He shot back. He looked over at Alex and his expression softened slightly.

"Hey, Alex" He greeted, almost hesitantly. She grinned in a friendly way.

"Hey, Ricky" She teased lightly, but he merely rolled his eyes in return.

"Don't listen to them. They're just winding you up" Rose told him, leaning against the console.

"You look fantastic" He told her. They both grinned, pulling into a big hug.

"Aww, sweet" Jack commented. "Look at these two. How come I never get any of that?" He looked up, locking eyes with Alex and she grinned in return.

"Buy me a drink first" She shot back.

"You're such hard work"

"But worth it" She smiled. The Doctor frowned at the two of them but returned to his work without a word.

"Did you manage to find it?" Rose asked Mickey as they pulled apart.

"There you go" He told her, handing something over. Rose grinned, holding her passport up for Alex and the Doctor to see.

"I can go anywhere now!" She announced happily.

"I told you, you don't need a passport" The Doctor repeated to her. He had, in fact, told her this multiple times already.

"It's all very well going to platform one and Justicia and the Glass Pyramid of San Kloon. But what if we end up in Brazil? I might need it. You see, I'm prepared for anything" She told them, finishing with her signature Rose Tyler smile that Alex had found herself copying on more than one occasion when she was younger.

"Sounds like you're staying then" Mickey pointed out, making everyone fall silent. The Doctor looked between the two like he was waiting to see what happened next. Mickey smiled, trying to lighten the mood.

"So what're you doing in Cardiff?" he asked. "And who's Jumping Jack Flash? I mean, I don't mind you hanging out with big-ears up here"

"Oi!"

"Look in a mirror"

The Doctor shook his head and went back to work while Alex grinned at Mickey.

"But this guy, I dunno, he's kinda…"

"Handsome?" Jack suggested with a smirk.

"More like cheesy" Mickey corrected, all but glaring at him.

"Early 21st century slang, is cheesy good or bad?" Jack asked, looking around at the others.

"It's bad" Mickey assured him.

"But bad means good, isn't that right?"

"Are you saying I'm not handsome?" The Doctor asked, making his way down the ladder. Alex followed, grinning.

"I think you're all handsome" She declared boldly. She let the men all be flattered for a moment before moving to Rose's side. "But you're my favourite" She added, kissing her on the cheek. She stood beside her and the girls laughed at the shocked expression on everyone else's faces.

"We just stopped off" Rose told Mickey once they'd finished laughing. "We need to refuel. Thing is, Cardiff's got this rift running through the middle of the city. It's invisible, but it's like an earthquake fault between different dimensions"

"The rift was healed back in 1969" The Doctor added.

"Thanks to a girl named Gwyneth" Rose inputted.

"'Cos these creatures called the Gelth, they were using the rift as a gateway but she saved the world and closed it" Alex took over.

"But closing a rift always leaves a scar, and that scar generates energy, harmless to the human race" Jack continued.

"But perfect for the Tardis" The Alex told Mickey, who was looking incredibly lost by this point. "So we just park her right on top of the scar and"

"Open up the engines, soak up the radiation" Jack continued for her.

"Like filling her up with petrol and off we go!" Rose finished happily.

"Into time!" Jack declared, high fiving Rose as Alex did with the Doctor.

"And space!" They all finished together, high fiving each other still. They finished and all grinned proudly, looking back at Mickey, who was staring at them in disbelief.

"My god, have you seen yourselves? You all think you're so clever don't you?"

"Yeah!" The Doctor nodded.

"Yeah!" Rose agreed.

"'Course" Alex grinned.

"Yep" Jack gave Mickey a light slap on the cheek, likely not making the other man feel any better about him. Alex laughed.

* * *

Alex was the first to the Tardis doors, excited to go outside even if it was just to 21st century Cardiff. She had gone to Cardiff first when she had gotten to England in her nineteenth year and she was rather fond of it. Growing up, she hadn't gone places much, spending most of her time since her teen years locking herself in her room with her laptop. Once she left home she had decided she wanted to go everywhere, and she had never stopped being excited to step outside.

She looked around with a grin, turning back to the Doctor as the rest stepped out.

"Feels like home!" She declared happily, spreading her arms.

"I thought you were from America?" Jack frowned at her. She shrugged in return.

"Lived a couple places in my life. Home one, in America, home two, in Australia, home three, America again, home four, Cardiff, Home five!" She gestured happily at the Tardis to finish.

"Well, should take another 24 hours, that means we've got time to kill" The Doctor told the group.

"That old lady's staring" Mickey told them slowly.

"Probably wondering what five people could do inside a small wooden box" Jack joked. He patted the Doctor on the shoulder and the two laughed along with Rose. Alex made an innocently disgusted face but was soon laughing along with them.

"What are you captain of? The innuendo squad?" Mickey asked him, making a face at his joke. Alex grinned, shaking her head at the two as Jack made a 'whatever' sign.

"Lighten up, Sparrow" Alex joked, nudging him with her shoulder. Jack frowned down at her and nudged her back although he couldn't help but smile. He turned to leave and Alex was about to follow when Mickey stopped them.

"Wait!" He called, pausing when the group all looked at him. "Er, the Tardis. We can't just leave it, doesn't it get noticed?"

"Yeah what's with the police box?" Jack asked, frowning at the ship in question. "Why does it look like that?"

"It's a cloaking device" Rose supplied.

"It's called a chameleon circuit" Alex added, grinning at the box.

"The Tardis is meant to disguise itself wherever it lands" The Doctor continued. "If it was ancient Rome it'd be a statue on a plinth or something. But I landed in the 1960s, it disguised itself as police box, and it got stuck"

"So it copied a real thing?" Mickey asked, looking back at the box. "There actually was police boxes?"

"Yeah, on street corners" The Doctor nodded. "Phone for help before they had radios and mobiles. If they arrested someone, they could shove them inside until help came, like a little prison cell"

"Why couldn't you just fix the circuit?" Jack asked, leaning forward slightly. Alex gasped like it was the most horrible crime in the universe.

"Don't you dare!" She insisted, grabbing the Doctor's sleeve as she looked up at him.

"I wouldn't!" He agreed, turning to Jack then. "I like it, don't you?"

"I _love_ it!" Rose agreed, patting the box lovingly. Alex let go of the Doctor's arm to join her, stroking the blue wood with a grin.

"But that's what I meant" Mickey told him, grinning like he'd proven a point. "There's no police boxes anymore, so doesn't it get noticed?"

"Ricky, let me tell you something about the human race" The Doctor told him seriously. "You put a mysterious blue box slap bang in the middle of town and what do they do?" Mickey looked as if he was about to answer when the Doctor continued. "Walk past it. Now stop your nagging, let's go and explore" Alex cheered happily at that and the Doctor grinned as he took her hand and started off with her. Rose grabbed Mickey to drag him along and Jack followed, grinning fondly at the two couples.

"So, where're we going?" Alex asked excitedly, practically skipping along and swinging their linked hands.

"I don't know" The Doctor responded, just as excited. "Cardiff, early 21st century. And the wind's coming from the… East. Trust me" He looked down at her, his grin fading into a soft smile. "Safest place in the universe" Alex gave a little excited laugh when he spun her under his arm and they took off, leaving the others to hurry up to follow.

* * *

"I swear, six feet tall, with tusks" Jack insisted, laughing along with the rest. The five of them were sitting at a table in a restaurant on the boardwalk. Alex sat between Mickey and the Doctor with Jack and Rose on the other side. Alex couldn't remember the last time she had a group of friends she could have this much fun with, and she was loving every moment of it.

"You're lying through your teeth!" The Doctor accused.

"I'd've gone bonkers!" Rose told them, still laughing. "That's the word, bonkers!"

"I mean, it turns out the white things are tusks, and I mean tusks!" He continued. "And it's woken, and it's not happy"

"How could you _possibly_ not know it was there?" Alex asked, leaning in to listen.

"And we're standing there, fifteen of us, naked"

"Naked?!" Rose repeated, laughing again.

"And I'm like, oh, no, no, its got nothing to do with me! And then it roars and we are running. Oh my god, we are running! And Brokovitch falls, so I turn to him and say-"

"I knew we should've turned left!" Mickey finished. Everyone laughed again. They were likely the loudest table around, but no one really cared.

"That's my line!" Jack complained, grinning still

Alex ran out of air and fell on the Doctor's shoulder, still laughing silently. He asked if she was okay, still laughing himself. She waved him off as she got her breath back, still grinning. She sat up and looked to Jack.

"You're such an idiot!" She told him, shaking her head.

"I don't believe you" Rose added. "I don't believe a word you say, ever, that is brilliant" The Doctor suddenly stood from his seat and Alex looked over at him with a frown.

"Did you ever get your clothes back?" Rose asked. Alex sent another glance towards the Doctor but she wanted to know as well. She leaned forward on the table to listen to Jack.

"No I just picked him up and went straight for the ship , full throttle, didn't stop until I hit the spacelanes, I was shaking! It was unbelievable, I was freaking out and by the time I got there…"

Jack kept on talking but Alex frowned at the Doctor again as he talked an old man out of his newspaper and read over the front cover.

"Doctor?" She called uncertainly, calling the group's attention to him. He looked up, seeming troubled now.

"And I was having such a nice day" He said almost sadly, holding up the newspaper. There, on the front page, was a color picture of one of the politicians who died during London's alien invasion. One of the Slitheen. Who was still alive in Cardiff. Alex sighed and glanced at Rose, who had the same look. It wasn't like they could just leave her, they had to do something or else no one would.

Resigned, Alex climbed out of her seat and moved to take the paper from the Doctor, reading it over to find out where they'd need to go.

* * *

It wasn't long until they were all ready to go find and fetch Margret the Slitheen, and they were walking up the steps of the town hall. They stopped inside and all took a glance around. Jack was the first to speak.

"According to intelligence, the target is the last surviving member of the Slitheen family, a criminal sect from the planet Raxacoricofallapatorious, masquerading as a human being, zipped inside a skin suit. Okay, plan of attack, we assume a basic fifty seven/ fifty six strategy, covering all exists on the ground floor. Doctor, you go face-to-face, that'll designate exit one, Alex and I'll cover exit two, Rose, you're exit three, Mickey Smith, you take exit four, have you got that?"

The Doctor was watching him in surprise about his takeover on orders, Rose looked as if she was trying hard to understand, Mickey looked plain confused and Alex, well Alex understood everything, she was grinning about the fact that Jack had tried to put her with him.

"Excuse me? Who's in charge?" The Doctor asked him, watching him expectantly.

"Sorry" Jack said, his whole demeanour changing as he look down at the floor a moment. "Awaiting orders, sir"

"Right, here's the plan" The Doctor said seriously, like he was trying to act authorial. He then grinned, looking at Jack once more. "Like he said, nice plan, but Alex comes with me. Anything else?" Alex rolled her eyes at the boys practically fighting over her now. Not that she didn't appreciate it a little…

"Present arms" Jack announced. They each pulled out their phones, Alex making sure she grabbed her older one. Her 2022 touch screen phone wouldn't exactly go unnoticed around Cardiff 2006. That was why she'd picked up one from that year. A nice simple black flip-phone. But she hadn't even seen one since she was a teenager, so she had to get Rose to show her how to use it in exchange for some game time on her other phone.

"Ready" They each said.

"Speed dial?" Jack asked then. They each pressed a button with a small beep as they went down the line.

"Yup" The Doctor confirmed.

"Ready" Rose told them.

"Check" Mickey announced.

"Got it" Alex nodded.

"See ya in hell" Jack grinned at them, heading off to the right.

"Et c'est parti" Alex muttered as the Doctor took her hand and led her off with a grin. Rose followed them for a bit before branching off to her assigned exit.

* * *

The Doctor held Alex's hand as they walked up to the door of the main office. He stopped in front of the secretary desk and smiled.

"Hello! I'm here the see the Lord Mayor" He announced happily.

"Have you got an appointment?" The secretary asked simply.

"Nope" The Doctor shook his head, but he kept on. "Just a couple old friends, stopping in for a visit, can't wait to see her face!" Alex nodded, making sure she had a convincing excited smile on her face.

"Well she's just having a cup of tea" The secretary told them.

"Just go in there, tell her the Doctor and Alex would like to see her" The Doctor told the young man, who frowned slightly.

"Doctor who?"

"Just the Doctor. Tell her exactly that. The Doctor. Alex."

"Hold on a tick" The secretary told them, standing to walk inside. The two listened a moment, not even surprised by the sound of a teacup smashing on the floor. Alex smiled in amusement and continued to wait patiently beside the Doctor. After a moment the young man returned, opening the door just enough to slip through and closing it quickly behind him.

"The Lord Mayor says thank you fo- for popping by…" The secretary stammered, looking extremely flustered. "She'd love to have a chat, but um… she's up to her eyes in paperwork. Perhaps if you could make an appointment for next week…?"

"She's climbing out the window isn't she?" The two asked in unison.

"Yes, she is" The man nodded quickly. The Doctor nodded with a smug look and Alex simply gave a smaller knowing nod. The Doctor pushed past the man into the office and Alex followed behind him, simply ignoring the secretary. They ran straight out onto the balcony just in time to see Margret running off on the ground.

"Slitheen heading North" The Doctor spoke into his mobile.

"On my way" Rose spoke back.

"Over and out" Jack replied. Mickey mumbled something on his end that no one heard. The Doctor was about to climb down the way Margret had gone when the secretary rushed out and starting trying to hold him back, shouting for them to leave her alone. Alex grabbed the man's arm and pulled him away from the Doctor with one hard tug, pushing him into the wall.

"Don't touch him" She growled, leaving the man trying to push himself into the wall, staring at her with wide eyes. Alex wouldn't know at the time, but the Doctor had been watching closely enough to see her eyes flash with gold. The Doctor placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and she turned her head slightly but kept her eyes fixed on the young man before her.

"Alex, come on" He encouraged, making her finally turn away. The secretary didn't say another word as the two cleared the balcony and started running after Margret. Rose blocked her first exit, Jack the second and Alex and the Doctor were following from the direction she had come. She found the last clear exit and kept running. The four stopped at one end of the path, trying to figure out who wasn't there.

"Who was exit four?" Jack asked irritably.

"That was Mickey" Rose remembered. Mickey caught up behind them a moment later and, Alex was almost proud to note, he was panting harder than any of them.

"Here I am" He told them weakly.

"Mickey the idiot" The Doctor snapped.

"Oh, be fair, she's not exactly gonna outrun us is she?" Rose pointed out, watching Margaret as she continued running. She was playing with something in her hands and suddenly disappeared in a flash of blue light.

"Teleport" Alex noted with a sigh, crossing her arms and pinching the bridge of her nose. "Always the teleport"

"That's cheating" Jack complained.

"Oh, the Doctor's very good with teleports" Rose told them. The man himself had his sonic screwdriver in hand and smiled as he pressed the button a moment and Margret appeared again, running towards them now. Her smile disappeared as she turned and started running again, the teleport activating with another blue flash. The Doctor simply pressed the button on the screwdriver once more and she appeared even closer, running towards them. She turned and teleported away on the run another time, and when the Doctor brought her back she stopped right in front of them, panting for breath.

"I could do this all day" The Doctor told her happily, Alex smirking amusedly behind him with her arms still crossed.

"This is persecution" Margret told them, holding her hands up in a surrender. "Why can't you leave me alone? What did I ever do to you?"

"You tried to kill me and my friends and destroy this entire planet" He pointed out, tone becoming dark.

"Apart from that" Margret huffed, almost seeming annoyed.

* * *

 **Et c'est parti was supposed to be French for 'here we go again' but I looked it up just now and the result came up as just 'here we go' but the one that actually means here we go again was wwaaayyy longer. Honestly, I like Et c'est Parti better. So yeah, Alex speaks French. Bet you can work out why.**


	22. Not Quite Night Out

The group entered the exhibit room, The Doctor refusing to let go of Alex's hand the whole time. She wasn't sure if it was because of her almost attacking the secretary or if he thought she needed some form of comfort, because she still blamed herself for everything that she didn't stop with the Slitheen.

"So you're a Slitheen, you're on Earth, you're trapped. Your family gets killed but you teleport out, just in the nick of time. You have no means of escape, what do you do? Build a nuclear power station" The Doctor recited, finishing with a gesture to the scale model in the middle of the room, which Jack and Rose were examining closely. Alex gave the Doctor's hand a tug, requesting he let go. He did, albeit hesitantly, and Alex wandered over to crouch beside Jack, bringing the model to eye level so she could get a closer look.

"But what for?" The Doctor asked, watching Margret closely.

"A philanthropic gesture. I've learned the error of my ways" She responded evenly.

"She lied" Alex added. Margret glared at the back of her head as she was still examining the model.

"And it just so happens to be right on top of the rift" The Doctor pointed out, stepping up behind Alex to block her from view. Alex glanced at him from the corner of her eye, then went back to looking over the model. Despite being there to essentially destroy the planet, as far as she remembered, the model of it was quite nice. There were even stray tiny people about.

"What rift you that be?" Margret asked, despite already knowing.

"She asked, feigning innocence" Alex muttered, standing to make her way to the other side of the model. Rose tried to hide her smirk, looking down.

"A rift in space and time" Jack clarified. "If this power station went into meltdown, the entire planet would go;" He made a strange sound, moving his arms to demonstrate and Alex copied him perfectly in synch. He raised an eyebrow at her and she laughed.

"Sorry, always loved that bit" She muttered, almost shyly. She glanced around at everyone looking at her and moved over to Rose, standing partially behind her as she locked her eyes on the floor.

"Didn't anyone notice?" Rose asked as her hand sought Alex's for comfort. Alex agreed wordlessly but eagerly. "Isn't there someone in London checking this sort of stuff?"

"We're in Cardiff, London doesn't care" Margret scoffed. "The South Wales Coast could fall into the sea and they wouldn't notice… oh… I sound like a Welshman, god help me, I've gone native"

"But why would she do that?" Mickey asked, confused. "A big explosion, she'd only end up killing herself"

"She's got a name you know" Margret protested.

"She's not even a she" Mickey shot back. "She's a… thing"

"You're really racist, you know that?" Alex commented, looking over at him. He glanced at her and then the floor suddenly seemed very interesting.

"Oh but she's clever" The Doctor mused, watching Margret. He moved forward and quickly popped the middle of the model off, flipping it over to reveal the circuitry beneath. Alex grinned at the sight of it, shaking Rose's hand off to step forward for a better look. "Fantastic" The Doctor grinned.

"Is that a tribophysical waveform marco-kenetic extrapolator?" Jack asked excitedly, standing beside the Doctor to get a better look. The Doctor looked down at him.

"Couldn't have put it better myself" He agreed.

"That's cos he doesn't know what it's called" Alex added. He looked up to protest but stopped when he saw what had caught her attention. Passing the device to Jack, he walked up behind her, looking closely at the foreign words on the banner at the back of the room. Alex stared, wide eyed, as the words translated for her and she was left staring at two words she never thought would terrify her so much

She had completely ignored Jack's explanation of the technology, sifting through her memories. It was getting closer, but how close? How long did they have? There wasn't long with Jack, which meant it was near the end of the season. Sure, there was time between the episodes, but not nearly enough. How many episodes did Jack have? Two in world war 2 with Jamie, this one in Cardiff, the game station and the end, and the ones with Martha. But there had to be more. Something else, it can't happen yet!

"Alex?" Her head snapped to the voice, finding the Doctor standing beside her with a look of concern. "Are you okay?" She realised she had been crying, reaching up to wipe the tears away roughly.

"I'm fine" She muttered, angry at herself.

"Alex…" He repeated, his tone almost warning. She looked up, searching his eyes.

"Bad Wolf" She whispered. He nodded.

"Everywhere we go, two words, following us. Bad Wolf" He spoke softly, glancing at Rose.

"How can they be following us?" Rose asked, sounding scared as she glanced between the two. She was shocked to notice Alex almost looked like she was going to start crying and the Doctor actually looked afraid for a moment. Suddenly, they both seemed to change.

"Nah" The Doctor shook his head, smiling again as Alex gave a shrug. "Just a coincidence. Like hearing a word on the radio and then hearing it all day. Nevermind, things to do!" He clapped his hands together, moving to stand beside the door and grinning as Alex skipped along behind him. "Margret, we're gonna take you home"

"Hold on, isn't that the easy option?" Mickey protested. "Like letting her go?"

"Not on her planet" Alex told him, not clarifying as Rose jumped excitedly.

"I can't believe it! We actually get to go to Raxa…" She trailed off, looking towards Alex and the Doctor for help. The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Wait a minute" She protested. Alex shoved an elbow in his side, making him jump and frown at her, mouthing the word 'ow' as he rubbed his sore side. She simply glared at him a moment. "Raxacor…"

"Raxacoricofallapatorious" Alex told her.

"Raxicorico…" She started, walking slowly towards them.

"Fallapatorious" Alex and the Doctor finished together.

"Raxacoricofallapatorious" She finished.

"That's it!" The Doctor agreed happily.

"You've got it!" Alex grinned, jumping excitedly as Rose and the Doctor hugged. She suddenly moved to hug her and the two laughed happily as they did.

"I did it!" She squeaked happily, throwing her arm in the air as she turned to face the rest of the room.

"They have the death penalty" Margret stated, making everyone's smiles fall. "The family Slitheen was tried many years ago in its absence and found guilty. With no chance of appeal. According to the statures of government, the moment I return, I am to be excecuted. What do you make of that, Doctor? Take me home and you take me to my death"

"Not my problem" He told her indifferently.

* * *

Alex huffed as she walked into the Tardis, not happy about the fact that they were bringing Margret into their _home._ She leaned against one of the coral pillars as she watched the others walk in. Needless to say, Margret was impressed by the Tardis.

"How do you get the outside around the inside?" She asked curiously.

"Like I'd give you the secret, yeah" The Doctor scoffed. Alex grinned smugly. He had explained the exact mechanics of the pocket universe of the Tardis to her least week. She had been rather proud of herself for understanding half of it.

"I almost feel better about being defeated. We never stood a chance" Margret continued. "This is the technology of the gods"

"Don't worship me, I'd make a very bad god" The Doctor shook his head, making Alex frown slightly. "You wouldn't get a day off for starters… Jack, how we doing big fella?" He asked then, looking over at where he was messing with the extrapolator.

"This extrapolator's top of the range" He told them, looking over at Margret. "Where'd you get it?"

"Oh, I don't know… some airlock sale?"

"Must have been a great big heist, it's stacked with power" Jack continued, ignoring her answer.

"But we can use it for fuel?" The Doctor asked, peering over his shoulder.

"It's not compatible" Jack disagreed. "But it should knock off about twelve hours. We'll be ready to go by morning"

"Then we're stuck here, overnight" The Doctor summarized.

"I'm in no hurry" Margret said coldly.

"We've got a prisoner!" Rose pointed out almost excitedly. "This police box is actually… a police box" Alex smiled at her enthusiasm.

"You're not just police though" Margret continued, smiling unpleasantly at all of them. "Since you're taking me to my death, that makes you my executioners. Each and every one of you"

"Well, you deserve it" Mickey shot back coldly.

"You're very quick to say so. You're very quick to soak your hands in my blood. Which makes you better than me, how exactly…?" She asked slowly. Mickey didn't answer.

"Because you are one person" Alex pointed out in a sharp tone. "And you tried to kill six billion for a _profit_. And for all we know you've killed people before. That's how" There was a moment of silence.

"All the same" Margret continued, trying to act like Alex hadn't fazed her. "Long night ahead…" She walked around the console to sit on one of the seats and Alex bristled slightly. "Let's see who can look me in the eye" She looked to Mickey and he held her gaze for a moment before looking at the floor guiltily. She turned to Rose, who looked to the Doctor. He looked up a moment but then back at his work. Alex however, held her gaze with just as much, if not more, coldness in her eyes. Margret was almost noticeably scared when the girl's eyes flashed gold.

The Doctor stepped in front of her, speaking softly and she blinked up at him. He said something else and she gave a small nod, climbing up the side ladder to sit up on her ledge, picking up her sketchbook the Tardis had received from her room and starting to draw in it, ignoring everyone else in the room. The Doctor gave her one last glance and went back to work.

* * *

Mickey left not too long later and Rose followed him out after a bit. Alex ignored Margret talking, even when she practically asked the Doctor do go to dinner with her. She made a harsher grey lead line than she meant to, making her scowl at the paper and pick up her eraser. The Doctor glanced up at her as he considered the option, but she didn't notice. When he agreed and the two left the Tardis, Alex threw down her eraser, causing it to bounce away onto the main floor. She blinked at it as Jack watched her, before going back to drawing, forcing herself calm so she didn't mess anything up.

"You okay?" Jack asked, making sure his eyes were fixed on the extrapolator. He had known the girl long enough to know that, while she was a great friend and lovely when she was happy, she was the worst person to get on the bad side of.

"I'm fine" She snapped. "Why the hell wouldn't I be?"

"Well…" He said slowly. "You just added a couple extra words there that weren't…" He paused at her glare. "Nothing" He changed to, going back to work. He thought over the situation in his head before standing and moving so he was beneath her platform.

"You don't seem fine" He pointed out gently. Alex paused, stopping in her drawing. She place her book down slowly with her pencil neatly on top. When that was set aside, she moved to climb down the ladder, giving Jack a glance.

"I'm gonna go out" She mumbled, heading towards the door. She had stepped out and closed it behind her before he had a chance to stop her.

Alex stood just outside, watching the water tower a long moment, longer than she'd planned, before she headed off. She walked slowly, wandering aimlessly as she made her way through the plaza and found herself up on the boardwalk. She wasn't thinking much about whether she was allowed or if she'd get in trouble when she noticed a fire escape ladder on the side of one of the buildings. Without a second thought, she made her way to the roof moving to stand on the edge so she could look over at the people walking past. Rose and Mickey caught her eye a way away and she smiled sadly at their obvious lack of interest for what the other was talking about.

She had always felt bad for Mickey. Even knowing, in Rose's position, she'd do the same, she felt bad for him having to live without someone he'd known to be there for so long. She knew what that felt like, and she didn't want anyone to feel the same. She sat on the edge of the roof, trying to block out all thoughts about where the Doctor could be now. She hummed to herself, 'Safe And Sound', like always. But there had to be something she was missing. There must be… Was that thunder?

Alex looked around with a frown. No, it couldn't be thunder. But there was some kind of deep rumbling coming from somewhere. Then she looked around at the ground as she felt the building beneath her start to shake ever-so-slightly.

"What the-"

She cut herself off with a scream when all the glass in the buildings below shattered. She pulled back, sitting in the middle of the roof, looking around in fear. There was something, something causing this, this was no kind of coincidence, it was something to do with-

The extrapolator.

She caught sight of the Doctor and Margret running past. Rose was gone and Mickey was yelling after her. _I need to get to the Tardis._ She made quick work of the ladder she used to get up, and once she was down, she didn't hesitate to run. She might reflect later that she'd never run so fast in her life, even with the Doctor. Or maybe that she should have stopped Jack from plugging in the extrapolator. But her mind was blank for all except _get to the Tardis._

She couldn't help but pause at the sight of the beautiful ship she was looking for. There was lightning shooting out of the top, hitting the sky and now surrounded by storm clouds. The ground beneath her feet cracked and she looked down at it fearfully before fixing her eyes back on the Tardis. She wasn't about to be stopped. She had made a promise, and Rose was just getting there herself.

Alex took off running once again, managing to get inside just after Rose, just as she was trying to ask what was happening. Alex glanced around, taking in the sight of the Tardis herself panicking around everyone inside with wide eyes.

"Oh, just little old me" Margret smiled coldly. Alex lunged forward, pushing Rose away so she was caught by Jack. But Alex herself was caught in a large clawed hand. The Doctor lunged forward.

"One wrong move and she snaps like a promise" Margret threatened, glaring as the Doctor stopped, staring helplessly at Alex. Strange, she had never really considered what nearly being choked felt like. It was not comfortable, for one thing.

"Oh, god, that's the analogy you pick? Get some creativity" Alex muttered. She squeaked in surprise when the hand around her neck tightened. Well, she never was one for listening to so called rules, more like if she agreed with them she would.

"I might've known" The Doctor stated darkly. Alex's gaze flicked to him and although she was the one being held hostage, she was almost scared of _him_. She could see the Oncoming Storm beneath the surface, and it was more terrifying than she'd been expecting.

"I've had you bleating all night, poor baby, now shut it" Margret snapped, turning to Jack. "You, fly boy, put the extrapolator at my feet"

Alex almost felt proud when Jack hesitated. She would never expect him to let her die, and she knew even telling him to would be useless, but he knew what was at stake. She bit her lip to remain silent as the hand tightened again. Jack looked to the Doctor helplessly, and with a nod from him, left Rose by the console to do as he had been told.

"Teacher pet" Alex joked in a whisper.

"Thank you" Margret smiled coldly. "Just as I planned"

"I thought you needed to blow up the nuclear power station" Rose spoke up shakily.

"Failing that, if I were to be… arrested… then anyone capable of tracking me down would have considerable technology of their own. Therefore, they would be captivated by the extrapolator. Especially a magpie mind like yours, Doctor"

Alex growled, trying to pull away, wanting nothing more than to get rid of Margret herself now. She grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled roughly, and Alex slowed slightly, but continued trying to glare at her from the corner of her eye.

"So the extrapolator was programmed to go to plan B. To lock on to the nearest alien power source and open the rift. And what a power source it found… I'm back on schedule… thanks to you"

"The rift's gonna convulse, she'll destroy the whole planet" Jack stated darkly, holding Rose close.

"And you with it!" Margret reminded them. She pushed Alex aside but with a hand still around her neck, so she was holding her to the side as she stepped up on the extrapolator. "While I ride this board over the crest of the inferno all the way to freedom. Stand back boys, surfs up"

A panel of the console suddenly flew open, revealing an almost blinding white light underneath, but right in the middle, it was gold. Margret looked at it in surprise before looking to the Doctor for an explanation.

"Of course, opening the rift means you'll tear this ship apart" The Doctor stated calmly.

"So sue me"

"It's not just any old power source. It's the Tardis. My Tardis. The best ship in the universe" The Doctor continued, calm as ever.

"It'll make wonderful scrap" Margret shot back. Alex had to mentally force herself from doing anything stupid. They were so close now.

"What's that light?" Rose asked, trying to look around the console to see from where she stood.

"The heart of the Tardis" The Doctor answered. "This ship's alive, you've opened its soul" Alex wasn't thinking as she glanced down at the light, freezing as it caught her eye. She felt as if she couldn't look anywhere else. Even when Margret's grip loosened and she fell to the floor, she was still watching the light. Alex didn't notice anything else, not even when Margret was engulfed in the light and the body suit fell, empty.

The Doctor stepped in front of her, picking her up off the ground and trying to talk to her urgently. He placed her back down on the flight seat, speaking a bit more before he went back to the console, closing the panel that was still bleeding light. Jack and Rose were called over to help the Doctor shut everything down and Alex just stared straight ahead, not really seeing anything.

The Doctor hurried over to her as soon as they'd put the rift back in place, stopping in front of her and starting at her a moment. He had no idea what to do, and in his mind, that was terrifying.

"Alex?" He called shakily. "Alex? Come on, no. Don't do this. You should've known!" He took hold of both her shoulders, trying to get her snap out of it, to notice him. "Alex, look at me, please!"

Jack stood by the console, holding Rose tightly as they both looked on in horror.

"Will she…" Rose whispered, not wanting to finish her sentence.

"I don't know" Jack whispered back honestly.

"She'll be fine! I'll fix this!" The Doctor insisted, turning to them. "I'll fix this! I will!" They all looked back to Alex as she began mumbling under her breath. She was still staring blankly but she was now speaking softly in some language Jack and Rose knew they had never heard before. The Doctor looked back at her with wide eyes, an 'oh' coming out slowly, as if he'd just realised what was going on.

"Doctor what is it? What's she saying? What language is that?" Jack asked, looking between him and the girl. The Doctor kneeled down in front of her, saying something back in the other language. She stopped talking abruptly, looking down at him. She said something softly back and he replied just as quietly. She stared at him a little longer and he spoke again, sounding like he was reassuring her. She gave a small nod and passed out a second later. The Doctor stood as he caught her, even as Jack and Rose rushed forward.

"What happened? Is she okay?" Rose asked hastily, scared for her friend.

"She'll be fine" The Doctor assured the two, picking her up properly. "I'll take her to her room, let her sleep it off. She won't remember any of it when she wakes up" With that, he left the two alone.

"Is it just me, or did he purposely leave out what happened?" Jack asked, glancing down at Rose. There was a moment before she realised something.

"Oh, my god, Mickey!" She remembered, turning to run out the Tardis doors, intent on finding the boy. Jack looked down at the console and between the doors and the hall way, sighing. It had been a long day.

* * *

Alex's eyes fluttered open slowly, squinting at the stars above her. She took a moment to realise she was in her bed, and that the stars were the Tardis projection. What had happened? Last thing she remembered there was Margret, the rift was being torn open, the heart of the Tardis was open and- oh god. Alex had looked into the heart of the Tardis. What if what happened to Rose happened to her? What if the Doctor regenerated early? Even despite the whole storyline being ripped apart and her not knowing what would happen anymore, she dreaded to think that the Doctor had to _die_ because she did something stupid.

The door to her room opened slowly and Alex sat up with a start, staring wide eyed at the man who walked into the room. The Doctor rushed over when he saw she was awake, trying to hold her steady.

"Whoa, slow down Alex" He told her gently. "It's okay, you're safe, we're all okay. Just breathe" It was then that she noticed she was practically hyperventilating and she let him turn her attention to breathing properly. When she was calm she looked up at him, taking in the sight of him, alive.

"You're alive" She whispered, her vision blurring with tears.

"'Course I'm alive" He frowned. "Why wouldn't I be?" Alex didn't answer but looked down as a tear fell. He quickly pulled her in for a hug, shushing her gently.

"What happened?" She asked quietly. He hesitated.

"Remember what I said about that watch, that when you put it down, you wouldn't be any different?" He asked hesitantly. Alex froze, pushing him away slowly to look in his eyes. He hesitated again at the panicked look in her own eyes.

"What's happening to me?" She asked, stronger this time. The Doctor made sure he still had one arm around her as he reached over, picking up the watch that was still on her bedside table. Alex sucked in a sharp breath, pulling away from him and moving so she was on the opposite side of the bed. She immediately felt guilty at his hurt expression, but she didn't want to be anywhere near the thing she perceived to be the reason of everything happening to her.

"I do know who this is" The Doctor told her carefully, holding up the gold watch. "Thing is, she's not a Time Lord" Alex frowned at that, eyeing the watch once more.

"Then… what…?"

"She's from a much older race, from before even the Time Lords. She grew up on Gallifrey, though, with me. Thing about her is, she can change her entire physical appearance, including species"

"So… I'm… her?" Alex asked slowly, having to work to concentrate on what she was being told.

"Yes" The Doctor nodded. "But do you know what this means?" She shook her head. "She's not Time Lord. She may have been at the time she used this, but it wouldn't work properly. What's been happening to you, is some of her memories, still stored inside. You are the same person" Alex frowned at this.

"So… I'll still be me, with new memories?" She asked hesitantly.

"Exactly" The Doctor agreed. He moved slightly closer, watching her carefully. She didn't protest or pull away so he moved slowly to place the watch in her hand. She looked down at the object, turning it over almost curiously, although she still didn't relax.

"If she- I, could change species… why did…I, use the watch?" She asked slowly, dreading the answer. The Doctor looked away, seeming guilty.

"Because you wanted to forget" He told her quietly.

"Forget what?" Alex pressed. He met her eyes but didn't speak for another moment.

"What she did"

Alex froze, seeming to understand immediately.

"When…" She cleared her throat, continuing after a pause. "When did you last see her?" The answer she received was the very answer she was dreading.

"The last day of the Time War"


	23. Reality

**Well I was wondering to myself whether or not I would post this chapter, but I think I'll give you guys a little more anticipation before the finale comes up. This is my own original episode, which probably wasn't that good but oh well. It was my first try at a whole episode, I hope you like it anyway.**

* * *

The city burned, children cried out for dead parents. People screaming and shouting and dying everywhere. Zaps of alien sounding guns. Alex ducked out from the shadowed corner in which she had hidden. She turned, taking in the scene with horror. She looked down at a gun in her hand and looked back to where the people were being shot down. Guilt ran through her. There was blood all over her hands, no, all over her body. She was just about drenched in it. The blood of a dying race. She ran. She ran away. Gun clutched tightly in her hand, she ran. A ripped and torn soldier uniform hung off her in places but she paid no mind.

A child screamed as she ran past but Alex couldn't stop herself. She had lost control. She had no care for the child. Her mind fogged over as she turned the corner to see a terrified young couple crouching down just out of sight. They screamed at the sight of her and huddled closer, crying into each other. Alex watched herself raise the gun. The couple were dead. She kept running.

Alex had another lone person cornered. A weeping young woman who held close a torn stuffed bear half covered in blood. Having lost her gun, Alex felt herself smile as she pulled the already blood covered knife from a sheath in her belt.

"Alex"

Alex blinked, that voice… She turned, there was a figure less than a couple feet away shrouded in darkness.

"Alex come on, I know you can hear me" The shadow spoke. Alex didn't say anything. She fought, harder than ever against her own mind. She was so close, almost there.

"Doctor…" It came out a whisper, barely a breath. The Doctor walked forward into the light and suddenly everything else was gone. She was left surrounded by endless nothing, an almost blinding white that continued on forever. The Doctor stood before her still, so close but so far. Shaking with the effort, Alex reached forward an arm but he was out of reach.

"Alex, come on, you can do this. You have to wake up" The Doctor told her urgently. Alex frowned at him.

"What does that mean?" She had control now, her body was back. But the white emptiness remained. "Am I sleeping?"

"Yes"

"How do I wake up?" Her voice trembled. The Doctor watched her sadly.

"You have to reach me Alex" He told her. Alex looked down at the ground between their feet, he was only two or so feet away. "It won't be easy but you have to" Alex looked back up at him. She gave a short nod but as soon as she attempted to step forward she felt caught, like she was surrounded by water and she was moving so very slow. Alex grunted with the effort, pushing herself.

"Come on Alex, you can do this, keep going" He urged her on. Alex pushed a little harder and her foot touched the ground, another pace closer. If she could just move that little bit… "You're doing great Alex, keep moving" Alex reached her arm forward, fingers close to brushing his jacket.

"…she doing it?" A voice echoed. It sounded hazy and far away. Rose.

"You're almost there" The Doctor told her, sounding hopeful. Alex found herself smiling as she reached just that little bit further. The Doctor smiled back. She almost had him, her fingers were right there, he was so close and…

A hand grasped Alex's wrist tightly, yanking her back with a sudden force. Alex found herself falling, watching as The Doctor's horrified face got further and further away.

* * *

The Doctor's eyes snapped open and he growled. Looking down at the girl in his arms his expression softened. Sadness and guilt and regret washed over him as he watched her laying motionlessly in his arms. Alex looked so peaceful she may as well be sleeping. The only difference being she might never wake up.

"It didn't work?" Came the soft voice. The Doctor looked up at Rose, who stood beside Alex's bed where he sat. He shook his head solemnly, looking down at her again. He brushed her hair gently from her eyes. He placed her down carefully, resting her head on the pillow as he watched her. This couldn't happen, not to Alex, he wouldn't let it. The Doctor stood and ran from the room, leaving Rose to stare after him. She looked back down at Alex then with sad eyes.

The girl who had so recently become her best friend didn't move. She lay there silently, closed eyes unable to open. Rose sighed, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"Alex, I hope you can hear me. I'm so sorry" She spoke softly. "It was all my fault Alex, I shouldn't have left you behind, I should have checked you were there" Silent tears ran down her face and she took a deep breath to keep her voice steady. It didn't help. "I should have been there, that's what best friends are for. It should be me lying there, not you" She paused, breathing deeply to keep from breaking down. After a moment Rose took her friend's hand and held it tightly.

"You need to hear me. You need to wake up. I can't deal with that lunatic on my own" She laughed through tears. "Please. We're falling apart out here Al. You have to wake up, you have to…" She trailed off, falling silent as tears stained her cheeks. Alex's hand tightened over hers. Rose looked up, shock and amazement and hope all struggling through. Alex had a single tear run down her face. Rose's eyes widened.

"Can you hear me?" She asked frantically. Her grip tightened once again holding as hard as she could. "Oh… oh my god, Alex" Rose breathed.

* * *

The Doctor ran until he reached his correct destination. The library seemed almost as endless as the TARDIS itself. He stopped further in, at a computer screen with empty shelves behind it. He quickly listed off non-fiction, the genre, content key words and more. When he was finished book covers and titles flashed across the screen and the automated shelf behind it began working. Three books were filtered out of the shelves and stopped in front of him. He sighed, grabbing the books he was given and moving towards the nearest table. He put down the stack and read quickly through each one, looking for something, anything, to tell him how to save Alex.

He dropped the last book with a sigh, leaning forward on the table tiredly. There was nothing.

"Oh Alex…" He breathed out. "I'm so sorry"

* * *

An alarm rang through the air and Alex reached over groggily to bang against the off button. Monday. She sighed when she hit snooze although she was getting up already. She'd just have to turn it off next time while she was getting ready. Alex frowned as she felt some kind of weird tingle in her hand. It felt like someone was holding her hand, but when she raised her arm to look there was nothing there. She opened and closed her hand, frowning as the feeling dissipated. Weird. She sighed then as she got up, flattening her blanket in a half-hearted effort to make the bed. She moved towards the bathroom and did what she had to do in there before coming back to rifle through her closet. She picked out some clothes and threw them on the bed before going to look out the window. She smiled to herself as she looked out to the sun beginning to brighten the streets of Melbourne.

Alex loved the city.

A sudden split of pain burst through Alex's head and she cried out, hands on her head as she fell. It was gone as soon as it came and she sat under the window a moment, eyes wide as she breathed heavily. She'd never had anything like that before. Just as Alex was going to stand again it happened again. It didn't leave this time.

"…wake up you have to" A voice called out in her head. Alex tried her best to concentrate, maybe figure out what this was but the pain was too intense. Her breaths came out in short, sharp bursts and tears ran down her face. It faded slowly this time. Just as it had reached a bearable level and was leaving completely she heard the voice in her head again.

"Oh my god, Alex"

It was spoke softly but rang through her head with an echo. The voice was familiar somehow but she couldn't put her finger on why. Her alarm went off again, causing her to jump in surprise. She sighed heavily and went to turn it off properly that time. She stood there a moment, contemplating what had just happened.

* * *

"Doctor!"

* * *

Alex looked up, watching the door to her apartment with fear in her eyes this time. The voice was so much clearer in a single shouted word and it almost sounded like it was spoken inside her apartment.

* * *

The Doctor looked up and took off running. He almost ran right into a couple bookshelves as he skidded passed, leaving the library and heading straight for Alex's room.

* * *

Rose looked up as The Doctor came running in.

"What is it? What happened?" He asked frantically, looking between her and Alex still asleep.

"I was holding her hand, and she held my hand too. I mean, she was squeezing my hand, like hard, and then she just stopped" Rose stumbled out. The Doctor pulled his sonic screwdriver out, scanning Alex starting from her hand and then up her arm and eventually her head. He frowned at the results.

"What is it?" Rose asked worriedly. The Doctor looked at her, seeming to not believe it even as he said it.

"It's a neural extraction"

"What does that mean?" Rose asked, frowning. It didn't sound good.

"Someone or something is inside her head and cherry picking bits from her thoughts and memories" He explained, looking at Alex. "It's an incredibly difficult process. And painful" He said the last part with a grimace. Rose looked at her friend with a whole new level of worry.

"What do we do?" She asked, scared for her friend. The Doctor looked over his shoulder at her, seeming to hesitate.

"She has to do it. You can't do anything, but there is one thing I can do to help her"

* * *

"You're gonna what?"

"I going inside her mind" The Doctor repeated, walking around Alex who was now on a bed in the medical ward of the TARDIS. "The way I did it last time was only temporary, couldn't stay there long. This time, I'm stuck in there until I pull out myself" He looked at her seriously then. "But if it goes wrong…"

"What?" Rose asked, her panic and worry skyrocketing for both her friends.

"If it goes wrong whatever is happening to her could spread or transfer to me through the connection" He said seriously. Rose blinked and swallowed nervously. She wasn't sure what to say. Beg him not to do it? But then Alex might never wake up. And he'd never listen to her anyway. The Doctor was watching her closely, as if waiting for her to say yes or no.

"How likely will it be to help her?" Rose asked in a small voice.

"Very" He responded softly. Rose nodded.

"Do it"

* * *

Alex walked into her office later that day with her bag slung over her shoulder and a smile on her face. She could probably never forget what had happened that morning, but for now she pushed it to the back of her mind.

"Hey Alex" A familiar called to her, just walking in the doors. Alex turned smiling at him.

"Hey James" She greeted back as he caught up to her. "What've you been up to?" She asked him as they started moving again.

"Nothing much" He shrugged. "But hey, did you finish the web page for Mr Harrison and his dog grooming company?" He asked. Alex laughed.

"Oh god, do not get me started on Mr Harrison and his dogs" She shook her head.

"He ask you over again?" James asked, a knowing smile on his face.

"Yeah. One of the dogs, one of the big ones this time, slobbered all over me just as he opened the door, knocked me flat on my back" She paused her story when James was laughing too hard to listen. "It was not funny!" She protested, but she was laughing too.

"Yeah I know" He sighed, laughter subsiding as he swept his blonde hair from his eyes. "And I get to update the Bad Wolf company's main page" He gloated. Alex scoffed, rolling her eyes at him but paused as she frowned. Why did that sound familiar? The two of them stopped in the elevator and James put in the number for the ninth floor. _Nine_ Alex watched the numbers on the digital screen climb, shaking the senseless thoughts from her head as they stood in a comfortable silence. When the doors opened James went to head to their desks while Alex turned the other way.

"Where're you going?" He frowned.

"Just down to the break room, didn't get time for a coffee this morning" She told him, turning and walking backwards as she talked before turning back.

"Well be quick, I need your opinion on a page for that new flower shop" He called out to her.

She took a left instead of right into the break room and stopped in the girl's bathroom. She checked the cubicles before stopping in front of a mirror, the bag she carried off her shoulder and on the sink. She looked hard at her reflection. She frowned at the butterfly clip in her hair and her pink zip up hoodie that she always wore. Then at the baby blue tights under her flowy pink skirt. Even the shirt underneath that matched her tights looked wrong somehow.

It was all so familiar, so normal and she wore it all every day. But today it just seemed wrong. Everything seemed out of place. A stab in her temple warned her of an impending headache and Alex groaned as she leaned forward on the sink, holding her head in her hands. Maybe she should get a coffee. She was just having an off day, it'd pass. With a sigh Alex stood and slung her bag back over her shoulder, glancing in the mirror one last time before heading for the break room to grab a quick coffee.

As Alex walked back to her desk with her work mug in her hand she glanced around and noticed a man standing off to the side. He seemed lost but he didn't look the type to be getting a job in web design. The man with the leather jacket kept turning his head as if he was looking for someone. Alex frowned slightly at him, he felt familiar but she couldn't recall ever having met the man. She reached her desk in the corner of the open room and put her mug down on James' side purely to annoy him, smirking as he glanced at her. He rolled his eyes and began pointing out changes he'd made to the page he was creating over the weekend. Asking if he should make the text bigger, make the background a little less vibrant so it wouldn't be distracting, and Alex discussed it all with him as he worked. All the while she kept glancing up at the man in the leather jacket who had taken to watching her.

Alex had sat down at her own computer and James had gone to raid the vending machine as far as she knew when the man approached her desk.

"Alex?" He asked, seeming unsure of himself. Alex looked up, mouth open slightly in surprise as she hadn't seen him coming. That voice, it seemed familiar like the rest of him but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Yes, can I help you?" She asked politely, regaining her composure. He paused momentarily, thinking before he spoke next.

"I was more hoping I could help you" He replied. Alex sighed then, getting an idea of what was going on.

"Blimey" She muttered under her breath. "Mum sent you didn't she?" She asked, looking him up and down now. He frowned.

"Sorry?" He had a northern accent. Her mother knew full well she liked English guys, that was just cheating.

"So what are you then? Some kind of personal bodyguard? Oh I know, you a psychiatrist or something?" She asked, thinking through her Mother's thought processes as far as she knew.

"No, I'm not a psychiatrist" He frowned.

"All I told her was that I couldn't call every night, I've been busy. What with Mr Harrison who likes me a little too much if you know what I mean, a whole three new cafés around the four blocks, a whole class or writers graduated from the University downtown and are all asking at once, and James keeps asking for help with that new florist now that he's been busy with the Bad Wolf company. It's not my fault I'm a bit busy so you can tell her to quit her worrying and take care of little bro back home, because I'm fine. Nineteen equals adult" Alex ranted on, looking back down at her computer as she finished.

"I wasn't sent by your mother"

Alex looked up, her mouth open like when he had first walked up.

"Oh my god" She said quietly. "Oh god I'm so sorry I'm just ranting on to you about all this and it had nothing to do with you. God I'm sorry, she fusses I wouldn't put it above her to hire someone to follow me around and just I could swear I've seen you somewhere before" Alex shook her head, her headache resurfacing. She hissed in pain and put her head in her hands.

"Are you alright?" The man asked, seeming incredibly concerned all of a sudden. Alex waved him off.

"I'll be-" Another stab of pain shot through her temple and Alex froze up, holding her head tightly between both hands. The man was suddenly in front of her, moving her back from the desk and taking her hands away to look at her. He buzzed something in front of her face but Alex payed it no mind, the pain in her head strong enough to ward off her usual sense of curiosity. Her eyes finally focussed on his and he stopped, looking right back at her.

"What's happening to me" She whispered. He hesitated.

"I know this is gonna sound really weird right now but Alex you have to trust me" She nodded. "None of this is real. This is all made up in your own mind and you have to get out Alex or you're gonna die in the real world" He summed up. Alex gaped at him.

"What. I mean, what?" She stuttered slightly, not understanding.

"You're dying Alex, and I can't let that happen. Look at me, really look" Alex looked over his face and his clothes and the weird silver object in his hand before meeting his eyes again. "You recognise me" He told her more than asked. Alex nodded and he smiled. He looked over his shoulder then.

"The illusion is cracking"

Alex looked too, her mouth falling open when she noticed everyone else was gone.

"No, It's not possible. It… James, he can't be gone" Alex stuttered, surprised.

"He doesn't exist" He told her. Alex shook her head, dazed as tears gathered in her eyes. Was none of her life real?

"You have to wake up Alex, there's nothing else I can do from here. But you have to wake up, please" He begged. Alex's mind seemed to open then. She remembered everything.

"Doctor" She whispered.

* * *

 _"Alex, come on we're waiting for you!" Rose called from the control room. Alex rolled her eyes, grabbing her jacket and smiling up at her starry ceiling before closing the door to her room._

 _"Alright, alright" Alex huffed, slipping her arms in her jacket as she reached the console room. Rose was waiting by the door and The Doctor was beside the corridor she just came from. "I'm ready" She grinned at him. He returned the grin, taking her hand and took off running, grabbing Rose in his other hand as he passed and the three ventured out onto an alien planet._

 _Alex looked around, taking note that they seemed to have landed on the coast of an extremely small island. Extremely small as in she could see the other side. The rest of the planet as far as she could see was just water dotted with giant lily pads. There seemed to be no living creatures around until she looked down. Alex smiled at all the life that swam past, some looking up at the strangers as they continued on their way._

 _"How small is this planet?" Rose asked. Alex looked up and saw what she meant. The horizon seemed much closer than it did on earth and the single sun that was just coming up seemed incredibly small too. It was pretty cold too she noted._

 _"Approximately eleven times smaller than Earth" The Doctor told them. "Fantastic isn't it?" He asked then, looking down at Alex. She smiled at him and nodded._

 _"It's awesome" She agreed. "Aqua land"_

 _"Aqua land" He nodded, grinning. She let go of his hand then to walk around and lean down closer to the water. Rose followed her and the two peered down into the aquatic civilization as The Doctor explained about a magma core like Earth's that filtered through the water, keeping the creatures warm with the smaller sun and how that's why none lived above the water. Rose stood and talked with The Doctor as they crossed some of the lily pads to get a closer look at some of the architecture._

 _Alex watched as a creature stopped just below the water, watching her curiously. She smiled and waved at the small eel like creature. The creature made no move to somehow return the gesture but pulled its tail forward and a small dart shot out, catching Alex on the wrist. She hissed in pain and stared in almost offence at the small being as she pulled the small dart from her wrist. It hurt but only like a splinter and didn't bleed. She flicked the dart back into the water but the creature continued to watch her until Alex felt her vision start to blur. Her head spun and she fell back onto her hands._

 _"Doctor…" She called out weakly. He turned but Alex was already falling unconscious. She heard the sounds of them rushing back over to her until even that faded away._

* * *

Alex blinked at The Doctor, everything rushing back.

"Aqua land" She whispered. He nodded, a sad look on his face.

"I'm sorry Alex, I should have been watching. I should have protected you…"

"No" Alex shook her head firmly. "It's not your fault. It didn't have anything do to with you" She assured him. He gave a small nod. "How do I not die?" Alex asked, attempting some humour on the way.

"Last time you could've simply reached for me, it would have been enough to pull you right out. This time I'm all the way in, meaning I can't do much else from here. You have to find something that doesn't belong in this illusion, something real. You can use that to pull yourself out, is there anything you've noticed here that didn't make sense. Something that you had in reality but weren't meant to have here?"

Alex thought for a moment she shook her head.

"I don't know"

"Where have you been since this all started? How long has it been for you?"

Alex frowned to herself, she had the memories of a whole other life, where did she really start?

"Just today" She realised. "I woke up today when I first had that headache, that's part of all this right?" He nodded.

"I've only been here and home" She told him.

"Then let's go back to your place" He told her, helping her stand from her chair.

"You're sure nothing would be here?" She frowned.

"You wouldn't be able to tell the difference" He explained. "This reality is cracking and since it's the reality of your mind it's cracking from the very point you realised the truth. Alex looked around again, finding that all of the objects and furniture were missing from the corner she stood in. Some still remained on the other side of the room but it was sparse.

"Alright then, apartment twenty-five" She told him, heading for the doors. He followed.

* * *

"The headaches are what now?"

"Neural extraction"

"And is that what it sounds like?"

"Yes"

"Hold on" Alex stopped at the apartment door, turning to face The Doctor fully. "If they're taking bits from my brain, am I going to forget some things?"

"Possibly, depends what type of extraction. It could be you'll lose some memories, could bring some to the surface, could do nothing to you at all. The memories are being seen by someone else, we know that, possibly even taken out for them to keep but it could just be a copy. I haven't ever seen it happen before"

"Lucky me" Alex rolled her eyes, unlocking her door and stepping in. "Something real" Alex muttered to herself, looking around. She glanced back at The Doctor who was staring at the room with wide eyes. "What?" She frowned at him.

"Well, just… It shouldn't be too hard" He attempted to shrug off. Alex rolled her eyes but she understood his confusion. Everything was just as it would be for any other girl in the world, that was the problem. Everything was pink and flowery and clean with color complimenting and basically a page in some kind of interior decorating magazine.

It really wasn't Alex.

Alex continued to scout around, looking for anything that didn't belong among the pink, something from the real world.

"Any ideas?" She asked, turning slightly.

"Something that would be important to you" He added. "Something you could never lose would be more likely to slip in through your subconscious" Alex nodded.

"Alright then" She thought through that as she looked, checking out the kitchen cupboards. God, there was _far_ _too much_ pink in here. Alex's hand went to her neck out of instinct, something she noticed when her necklace wasn't there to grab on to. Her eyes widened and she rushed off to the bedroom suddenly, The Doctor following her just as fast. She pulled out jewellery boxes and drawers from a vanity in the corner and every small box under the bed, throwing contents every which way in an attempt to find the necklace she never removed.

"Alex what is it, what are you looking for?" The Doctor asked, watching from the doorway.

"You can't help?" She asked, trying her best to keep her irritation from her voice.

"I can't do anything here" He shook his head.

"I had a feeling you'd say something like that" Alex sighed. She glanced around, every box and drawer in her room empty. She cried out as a now familiar pain flared up again inside her skull. She vaguely heard The Doctor's voice calling to her but he sounded so far away. That was when she saw it. A small brown wooden box. It was simple and undecorated, something hand-made. Certainly not something that belonged here within all the pink. And Alex knew what must be inside. She pushed herself forward, reaching out. A hand clamped over her wrist as the pain subsided and she looked up.

"This is curious" She muttered to herself. Alex stood slowly, a perfect replica of her younger self stood before her. "How old is this image?" She asked, knowing it must be the thing to be causing all this. "What? Four? No, your hair is straighter, I had curls when I was four, Five? Six?" The image didn't respond. Alex smiled to herself when she noticed the odd fringe. "Ah, I'll go with six according to that hair. I can't blame you, no one ever really told me how to cut my hair"

"Alex? Who is this?" The Doctor asked, looking between the two.

"It's me" She told him, smiling softly at the girl. "When I was six years old. Whatever locked me in my mind must have created an image for itself out of my memories. But why a child? Even in my childhood memories there were plenty adults, unless…" Alex's mouth dropped open as she realised. "Oh you poor thing"

"What? What is it?" The Doctor asked, confused as he looked at the young girl again.

"It's a child" Alex realised. "The creature, it's just a child and it's alone. That's why it picked me and my younger image. It's the same, it found a match in my six-year-old self. That's what the neural extractions were, it was searching for the right year"

"Why, what happened when you were six?"

"Just, a lot of things" Alex shook her head. "We lived two hours away from our nearest relatives, half of them were on the other side of the world, my friends started moving away, one-by-one, that was when the kids in my class got older, decided they didn't want to be friends with every person they met. It was when kids chose friends based on personality" Alex hesitated before she finished. "It was when they decided they didn't need to be friends with the American weirdo"

The Doctor looked at her, shocked and back at the little girl. The younger girl had tears running down her face now. Alex kneeled down beside her as she let go of her hand.

"It's okay, it doesn't go on forever" She told her softly.

"You friend" The girl said softly. "He broke in to your mind to save you, he's risking his own life every second he's here" Alex looked up at The Doctor, who stared straight back at her.

"I should have known" Alex laughed slightly.

"I've never had someone who would do that for me" More tears spilled over the young girl's eyes. Alex gave her a soft smile and wiped her tears away.

"You will" She promised. "There's always someone out there for us, whether we know it or not. Not a single creature in the universe was made to be alone, there will be someone for you. Lonely times don't last forever, you just have to be strong enough to reach the friends you'll have on the other side, and then you can do the same for them" The girl nodded. Alex reached forward and pulled her into a hug. When she pulled away the girl wiped her tears and smiled at Alex, who smiled back. She turned and picked up the box from behind her and passed it to Alex. Alex stood and walked over to stand beside The Doctor. Box in one hand, she took his hand with the other. The young girl smiled at them and faded away.

"Will she be okay?" Alex asked. The Doctor looked down at her and their eyes met.

"She'll be fine. That was just a projection, her physical form never left her home"

"Aqua land" Alex smiled.

"Aqua land" He smiled back.

Alex looked down at the box in her hand with a smile, opened it and pulled her necklace free. Small silver charms adorned the one side, clinking together as they hung from the delicate chain. She put the box carefully down on the edge of the trashed bed and clasped the necklace on. She smiled up at The Doctor who smiled down at her and they faded from the broken world, hand in hand they returned.

* * *

Alex's eyes snapped open and she sat up. She didn't get time to see anything when she was hugged suddenly and tightly.

"God, Rose, how long have I been gone?"

"Days"

Alex pushed her back suddenly, holding her at arm's length. "I was gone for days?" Rose nodded. Alex pulled her in again and hugged her tighter. When they pulled back again Alex looked around. She looked to be sitting in a hospital bed but was still wearing her own clothes. She was hooked up to a pulse monitor and what seemed to be an IV. She looked to her right when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. The Doctor stood there, watching her carefully.

"Hey" Alex said simply, feeling tears form in her eyes.

"Hey" He said back.

"I'm not wearing pink" Alex pointed out. He laughed.

"No, you're not" He stepped forward, carefully removing everything she'd been attached to before pulling her into another hug. Alex buried her head in his shoulder as she tried to stop the tears from coming. They stayed like that for god knows how long before he pulled back and looked her in the eyes, their foreheads touching as he held a hand to the side of her face.

"I could have lost you" He whispered. Alex felt the tears that hadn't really left trail down her face once again. He sounded so broken.

"You're not getting rid of me that easily" She smiled.

* * *

Alex sat in the flight seat with her sketchbook as The Doctor fiddled with the wiring under the console. It was silent aside from the occasional buzz from the sonic screwdriver or a spark from the console. Rose had retreated to her room for some much needed rest but Alex knew she couldn't sleep.

"Who was James?" The Doctor asked suddenly. Alex glanced down at him but he wasn't looking at her, still focussing on the wires in his hand as he waited for an answer.

"Just a friend" She shrugged, looking down as she sketched another line. "A friend from back home" She placed her pencil down and flicked through the pages for a moment before offering it to the Doctor. He glanced over and pulled himself out from under the grating. He took the book slowly, looking over the detailed grey-lead face. He recognised it as the man she had been with in her dream. It hadn't been there last time he saw this book.

"So this… friend"

"Just that" Alex nodded. "Met him in the early days of high school. Kept in touch once I moved" She glanced downwards. "He probably doesn't know what happened to me" The Doctor took one last look at the drawing before handing it back.

"It wanted your memories, why was that?" He asked, still confused about the whole thing.

"I think it wanted my happy memories, it was lonely" Alex shrugged.

"So you said, like you were when you were younger. But why did it pick you? If it wanted happy memories why wouldn't it pick someone who wasn't lonely?"

Alex thought about that a moment.

"Because I've been both"

The Doctor frowned at her.

"What do you mean?"

"I've been lonely before, I know what it's like. But when it saw me I had you and Rose. I was lonely" She moved forward, sitting on the ground in front of him and took his hand. "Now I'm not" She finished with a smile. He smiled back at her and moved closer to pull her into a hug. Alex laughed a little.

"I've had a lot of hugs today" She mumbled in his ear. The Doctor laughed and went to pull away but Alex grabbed him tighter. "I'm not protesting" She added. He laughed again and they hugged a little longer.

* * *

 **...you like?**


	24. It Begins

Alex woke slowly, blinking against the harsh light. She frowned slightly at the realisation that she wasn't in her bed in the Tardis. In fact, she was on a floor, and not one she recognised. She jumped when someone kneeled down beside her.

"It's alright, slow down. You okay?" The young man asked, watching her as she sat up.

"I have to… where is… I…" She scrambled quickly to her feet, surprising the man before her, who followed. "He's… He's… I have to…" Everything blurred together suddenly and her head felt light as her legs gave out.

"Whoa, careful there" The man said slowly, holding her up. "That's the transmat beam, scrambles your head a little"

"Someone… I have to find… The… The Doctor" She realised, her head snapping up again as she scanned the room. She frowned slightly at the bright lights and cameras like a TV show set.

"What's your name?" The man asked carefully. Alex looked up at him.

"It's… uh, Alex" She remembered, nodding. "Yeah, that sounds right. That's… that's what he called me. Where is he? The Doctor, my friend, where's he gone?"

"Might be in another game" The man told her. She frowned.

"Game?"

"Yeah, my name is Jacob by the way" He told her.

"What game?" She asked, standing on her own to look around. Her eyes widened as she realised, just as he told her what she had been dreading.

"You're on the Game Station"

* * *

"No, no, no, this is a mistake!" Alex insisted as the technicians and stage managers walked past. "I'm not supposed to be here, check your systems, its impossible! I couldn't possibly have been picked up from where I was. I swear to you, please"

"And we're on the air in 3… 2.."

"No!"

"1"

* * *

Alex was in a game show. Some British game show she'd not much heard of called Countdown. And she didn't like it. She apparently had to make the longest word possible from the nine letters in front of her. If she was being honest, she'd never really watched this show, so she was a little lost. But apparently she lives if she wins. There are only two contestants, so that means neither goes until the end, which meant she might have a chance of getting Jacob out alive. As long as the Doctor didn't take longer than she'd anticipated. If he came for her first, she might be able to save Rose when they got to The Weakest Link.

Alex looked over the letters in front of her, deciding to play along for now. She realised something, looking over some of them, and began to quickly re-arrange the letters. 'Gallifrey' she spelled, smiling proudly. It might be well known here, and her knowing that might make them just a little scared. Also, it used all nine letters.

* * *

Alex waited until they went to 'ad break' before going to talk to Jacob.

"I'm going to get us out of here, neither of us will die" She whispered to him. Jacob looked up at her from where he sat, eyes wide. He glanced over her shoulder before answering.

"That's not legal" He whispered in the game. "We have to follow the rules, otherwise we both die"

"Not today" Alex shook her head. "No, today, lots more people will survive. I have a friend, in another one of these games"

"That Doctor you were talking about" He remembered.

"The very same" Alex nodded. "He's going to come for me, I know it, and then he's going to stop the games, forever"

"How?" Jacob frowned.

"I can't tell you anything more, just be ready to run when that man runs in with a gun, alright?"

"A gun?" He asked, suddenly seeming scared as his eyebrows rose to his hairline.

"Yes, a gun, but it's not like he's gonna use it"

"We are back on air in one minute" The stage manager announced. Alex looked back down at Jacob.

"Just… Trust me" She requested, looking at him pleadingly. He seemed to search her eyes before giving a small, almost imperceptible nod.

"Okay" He whispered in return. Alex gave a small nod, turning to return to the game. Now all she needed was the Doctor to show up in time…

* * *

There were ten rounds of the nine letter game, then math related rounds. Numbers. Alex always thought if her living depended on her use of numbers, she'd die. She almost thought if she wasn't hoping for the Doctor, this game might test her theory. But what she was good with, was letters, and logic. So when she was presented with an anagram, that was what she was happy about. She studied the letters, but her eyes kept being drawn back to the stage door. This was the last round of the game. If they went to get Rose first, then they might be caught before coming for her, and her or Jacob might die. Alex decided then that she might need to carry a gun in the future. Not a big one, something compact, only for emergencies, empty threats.

Alex started switching the letters, finding the word 'angel' in her letters. She frowned slightly, spelling out 'fall' beside it, and being left with one more letter. She frowned slightly at the 's', moving slowly to place it down.

Angels fall

What was that supposed to mean?

Time was running short.

There was a loud bang and Alex looked up to see the Doctor run in with Jack, the latter with a gun, as per usual.

"Alex!" The Doctor called. Alex breathed out a sigh of relief, jumping down off the small stage to run towards him, even as the stage manager complained and was promptly silence with Jack's gun waved in his face. The Doctor hugged her tightly, holding her close. It seemed somehow different from how he normally hugged her. Almost… desperate.

"We have to find Rose" She whispered to him.

"I know" He assured her. "We're on it" They pulled apart and Alex waved to Jacob to come over, which he did quickly.

"Doctor this is Jacob, Jacob, the Doctor. We have to go, no time for questions. Have you tracked Rose yet?" She rambled off, heading towards the side stage door as the men followed. No one inside wanted to argue with Jack's gun, so no one stopped them.

* * *

Alex watched the numbers count upwards to floor 407.

"You came to get me first" She said quietly. The Doctor glanced at her from where he was also watching the numbers.

"Yes, I did"

There was silence aside from Alex and the Doctor's impatient mutterings of 'come on, come on'. The Doors opened and Alex was the first to rush out. She was even the first the run into the studio as the Doctor got the door opened. Rose was just ahead, standing at her podium and shouting at the robot and people around in true Tyler fashion.

"Stop this game!" Jack shouted, point his gun straight at the stage manager.

"I order you to stop this game!" The Doctor repeated.

"We're live on air!" The stage manager complained, braver than the one on Countdown. The Doctor ran towards Rose, Alex just in front of him as Rose began to run towards them.

"You are the weakest link"

"Look out for the Anne-droid, its armed!" Rose called to them.

Alex looked up at the robot in the middle of the game stage, staring in horror as its mouth opened and a small gun poked out. She saw it shoot, right towards Rose, and Alex managed to get to Rose just in time, jumping in front of her. The Doctor caught Rose, but stared in horror as the beam hit Alex square in the chest, and she disappeared.

Rose gasped, her hand covering her mouth as she looked down at the pile of dust where Alex had been standing. The Doctor let go of the girl, falling to his knees in front of the small pile of dust, touching it lightly. Jack raged at the people on the floor, shouting and yelling with Jacob right on his heels while Rose tried and failed to hold back from crying, and the Doctor had seemed to forget the world around him.

Alex was gone.

* * *

Alex opened her eyes, sitting up quickly and looking around. Her state of panic was not helped by the creature she saw heading towards her. She couldn't find enough courage to speak, only crawl backwards until her back was pressed against the wall.

"You will follow" The Dalek declared loudly, making Alex flinch. She stood slowly, following it as it led her into a much bigger room, filled with even more Daleks.

"You will remain silent" The same Dalek ordered, leaving her behind where she stood. She wedged herself into a corner, watching silently. She waited, trying her best to remain composed. But that was no easy feat surrounded by Daleks.

"Alert! Alert! We are detected!" One Dalek screamed. Alex flinched at the sudden volume as they all started yelling at once.

"It is the Doctor! He had located us!"

"Open communications channel!"

"The female will step forward!" One ordered. Alex looked around, eyes wide. "Step forward!" It repeated louder. Alex did so, weaving her fingers together to keep her hands from shaking. An image appeared in the air and Alex couldn't help the small smile that crossed her face at the sight of the Doctor. Rose, Jack, Jacob and the girl Alex remembered to be Lynda with a 'y' were all standing behind him, along with a couple others.

"Not dead" Alex pointed out, giving a small wave to look more confident than she felt. Only Jacob gave a hesitant wave in return.

"I will talk to the Doctor" One Dalek said simply.

"Oh, will you? That's nice, hello" The Doctor responded, giving them a small wave. His fake smile faded quickly as his eyes rested on Alex again.

"The Dalek stratagem nears completion. The fleet is almost ready. You will not intervene" The Dalek spoke again.

"Oh, really? Why's that then?"

"We have your associate. You will obey or she will be exterminated"

"No" The Doctor replied simply. Everyone on both sides of the screen stared at him in shock, but Alex simply smirked despite her fear.

"Explain yourself" The Dalek demanded.

"I said: no" The Doctor repeated, his voice still calm.

"What is the meaning of this negative?"

"It means: no"

"But she will be destroyed"

The Doctor's expression darkened when Alex flinched at the voice.

"No!" He shouted now, standing from his chair. "'Cos this is what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna rescue her" Alex smiled almost encouragingly and he continued. "I'm gonna save Alex Collins from the middle of the Dalek fleet, and then I'm gonna save the Earth, and then just to finish off, I'm gonna wipe every last stinking Dalek out of the sky!"

"But you have no weapons! No defences! No plan!" The Daleks accused.

"Yeah" Alex said softly, smiling at the Doctor as he grinned at her.

"And doesn't that just scare you to death" He finished. "Alex?" Alex perked up visibly, smiling genuinely now despite her fear earlier.

"Yes Doctor?"

"I'm coming to get you" He told her, every last bit genuine and assuring her that he would stop at nothing.

"I don't doubt it for a second" She told him. The screen turned off, the last thing she saw being the Doctor's grinning face.

"The Doctor is initiating hostile action!" One Dalek cried, actually sounding scared.

"The stratagem must advance! Begin the invasion of Earth!" Another ordered loudly. They spun and ran around wildly and Alex stepped back into the wall, trying to stay out of their way while they were ignoring her.

"The Doctor will be exterminated!"

"Exterminate!" They chanted together. Alex looked around, feeling herself shaking again now that the Doctor was gone. She did her best to keep his face and words in her head as she waited. _I'm coming to get you_.

"Please hurry Doctor" She whispered, looking around fearfully as the Dalek continued their chant at full volume.


	25. Programme One

_"I'm coming to get you" He told her, every last bit genuine and assuring her that he would stop at nothing._

 _"I don't doubt it for a second" She told him. The screen turned off, the last thing she saw being the Doctor's grinning face._

 _"The Doctor is initiating hostile action!" One Dalek cried, actually sounding scared._

 _"The stratagem must advance! Begin the invasion of Earth!" Another ordered loudly. They spun and ran around wildly and Alex stepped back into the wall, trying to stay out of their way while they were ignoring her._

 _"The Doctor will be exterminated!"_

 _"Exterminate!" They chanted together. Alex looked around, feeling herself shaking again now that the Doctor was gone. She did her best to keep his face and words in her head as she waited. I'm coming to get you._

 _"Please hurry Doctor" She whispered, looking around fearfully as the Dalek continued their chant at full volume._

* * *

One of the Daleks turned to her suddenly, stopping in its tracks.

"You know the Doctor! You understand him! You will predict his actions!"

Alex actually found herself laughing.

"I do know him, but you evidently don't know me" She responded with a bravery she didn't know she had.

"Predict! Predict! Predict!" It ordered again, moving towards her dangerously.

"No" She responded evenly.

"Tardis detected. In flight" Another Dalek spoke up, distracting the first from her.

"Launch missiles. Exterminate!" The first ordered in response.

"No!" Alex cried, looking between them. "The Tardis's defences are down! You'll kill him!"

"You have predicted correctly" The Dalek responded. Alex looked between the two, shaking again. She hoped he'd thought of this. If he died, or if something happened to Rose, Alex would never forgive herself for being the one they were coming to save. She didn't remember details like this.

The sound of the Tardis invaded the ship and Alex looked around quickly, finding the outline of the Tardis surrounding her. The console room came into view and Alex's eyes locked on the Doctor she moment she caught sight of him.

"Alex! Get down!" He shouted just as the engines stopped. Alex never understood why she didn't follow his instructions immediately, maybe it was shock, but she simply stared at him. "Get down, Alex!" he repeated, his urgent and almost scared tone registering in her now as she dropped to the floor. She let out a strangled scream as the Dalek she hadn't noticed behind her was shot by something in front of her. The gun Jack was holding.

Alex stumbled to her feet, taking a single step forward before the Doctor reached her himself, wrapping her up in a tight hug. She let out a sob, clinging to his coat.

"I've got you. You're safe" He whispered to her. Alex took a deep breath, composing herself.

"God, I missed you" She told him quietly.

"Told you I'd come and get you"

He pulled away slightly, looking her in the eye.

"I never doubted you" She nodded.

"I did! You alright?" He asked, looking her over.

"Yeah" She nodded. "Better now. You?"

"Not bad. Been better" He told her. He seemed to take one last look at her before deeming her alright enough for now and moving over to inspect the damaged Dalek. She knew he would no doubt want to follow her back to her room when all this was over, something he did a lot after something had really scared her. Sometimes they just talked, other times she liked him there when she went to sleep. He kept the nightmares away and was there already if she woke from one.

"Hey, don't I get a hug?" Jack asked, stepping closer. Alex smiled softly and walked over to him. "I was talking to him" He said then, gesturing to the Doctor. Alex blushed slightly and Jack laughed. "I'm just kidding Lex, come here" He pulled her in for a hug and she held him tightly in return.

"I thought I'd never see you again" She admitted.

"Oh you were lucky, I was just a one-shot wonder. Drained the gun of all its power supply. Now it's just a piece of junk" He explained to her. She nodded in understanding as he stepped away, revealing Rose watching them.

"Not dead" Alex pointed out hesitantly.

"I am so mad at you" Rose said softly, shaking her head. Alex sighed softly, nodding.

"I know"

"I don't want you to keep trying to die in my place"

"I know"

There was a moment of silence before she rushed forward, pulling Alex into a huge hug, clinging to her tightly.

"I thought you were dead" Rose told her tearily. Alex hugged her back, feeling her own tears surface.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Rose. But you know I had to protect you" She tried to explain.

"Well what if you had died? What would I do then?" She demanded, pulling away to grab her shoulders tightly.

"You have…" Alex trailed off, looking towards the men in the ship, who didn't look like they were too keen on being brought into the issue.

"I want you" Rose insisted. "It wouldn't be the same without you" Alex took another glance around the occupants of the room. Both men were staring at her now, silently agreeing.

"I'm sorry" She told them softly. Rose was still a moment before nodding and pulling her into another hug. The girls smiled at each other when they pulled apart, wiping their tears with small laughs. Rose led the older girl back towards the remains of the Dalek, incredibly aware of the way her hand tightened around hers. She squeezed back reassuringly, standing back with her while the guys continued to look it over.

"You said they were extinct, how comes they're still alive?" Rose asked, peering over their shoulders.

"On minute they're the greatest threat in the universe, the next minute they vanished out of time and space" Jack told them, likely it was all he knew.

"They went off to fight a bigger war" The Doctor told him, his eyes not leaving the remains of the Dalek.

"The Time War" Alex finished, her voice hollow. Jack looked back at her and was surprised by what he saw. Her eyes suddenly seemed so much older and held so much pain, something he'd never seen in the girl. Like he'd only seen in one other person. They almost seemed to reflect the horror of war like she spoke about, but he knew for a fact that the girl could never have fought anything of the like. It was only a moment, a flash, then it was gone like it had never been there. Jack almost thought he'd imagined it. Alex blinked like she'd come out of a daze, but said nothing.

"I thought that was just a legend" Jack said quietly, deciding to focus on the Daleks first.

"I was there" The Doctor told him. "The war between the Daleks and the Time Lords. With the whole of creation at stake. My people were destroyed, but they took the Daleks with them" His voice turned quieter as he continued. "I almost thought it was worth it. Now it turns out they died for nothing"

"There's thousands of them now" Rose pointed out worriedly. "We could hardly stop one. What're we gonna do?"

"No good stood 'round here chin-wagging" The Doctor told her cheerily, standing. He held his hand out to Alex and she moved almost hesitantly, letting go of Rose to join him. He gave her an encouraging smile. "Human race, you'd gossip all day. The Daleks have all the answers, let's go meet the neighbours" With that, he headed off down the ramp and to the door, Alex in tow.

"You can't go out there!" Rose shouted urgently, trying to chase after them before they left, but it was too late. The two had already stepped outside to stand in the open in front of the Tardis.

"Exterminate! Exterminate!" The Daleks cried without hesitation. Alex flinched and pressed herself into the Doctor, her other hand grabbing his singed sleeve as they shot at them, only to have their shots stopped in mid-air by their force field. Alex laughed slightly as the Doctor raised his free arm like a question.

"Is that it?" Was the question. "Useless. Nul points" He smiled down at Alex, moving so she could stand between him and Jack right in front of the Tardis.

"It's alright, come on out" he told the other two. "That force field can hold back anything"

"Almost anything" Jack corrected. The Doctor paused, staring at him and Alex rolled her eyes.

"We weren't meant to tell them that" Alex sighed.

"Sorry" Jack muttered sheepishly, realising his mistake. Alex seemed unscared enough to sigh mockingly at him, but she was still pressing herself into the Doctor's side, one hand grasping his tightly. The Daleks were silent and the Doctor looked around at them a moment before looking down at Alex. She understood quickly, letting go of his hand and taking a step away. He gave her a small encouraging smile as he moved towards the Daleks.

"D'you know what they call me in the ancient legends of the Dalek homeworld?" The Doctor asked as he faced them. "The Oncoming Storm. You might've removed all your emotions but I recon that deep down in your DNA, there's one little spark left. And that's fear. And doesn't it just burn when you face me?" Alex had to admit, he was pretty terrifying when he got angry, and that was from her side. She couldn't imagine the fear of going against him for real. "So tell me, how did you survive the Time War?"

"They survived through me" A deep voice reverberated through the open space. Alex jumped and her hand flew out to grab at the nearest person, who just happened to be Jack. He took her hand as the Doctor moved towards the voice and lights came on, illuminating a giant Dalek, towering above them all. Alex's eyes were wider than she thought they ever had been before as she stared up at the creature.

"Alex… Rose… Captain… This is the Emperor of the Daleks" The Doctor spoke over his shoulder, sounding amazed himself. Alex detached herself from Jack, slowly making her way towards the Doctor. She was almost afraid to reach out to him, knowing he could very well go back to the man he was in the Time War at a time like this. But when her fingers brushed his he took her hand immediately. She wasn't sure if it was for him or her. She continued forward until she was stood by his side. Sure, she was scared, but she hated being scared. And maybe, she thought, this could be a good first step to being brave. Holding the Doctor's hand and standing in front of the Dalek Emperor.

"You destroyed us, Doctor" The Emperor spoke in its loud deep voice. Alex mouth fell open as her eyes moved over the bodywork of the machine. "The Dalek race died in your inferno, but my ship survived, felling through time, crippled but alive"

"I get it" The Doctor cut it off impatiently.

"Do not interrupt!" Some of the Daleks exclaimed, one after the other. Jack and Rose winced at the yelling and Alex jumped, taking another step closer to the Doctor. He merely looked annoyed at them, but that changed when he felt Alex move beside him.

"I think you're forgetting something" He started calmly. "I'm the Doctor. And if there's one thing I can do, its talk. I've got five billion languages, and you haven't got one way of stopping me. So if anybody's gonna shut up, it's you!" He shouted the last few words facing the Daleks behind them. He felt Alex's hand leave his and turned quickly, fearing the worst. What he discovered though, was even worse than what he had imagined.

Alex had taken a step back from him, staring at him with wide eyes and her mouth slightly open. He froze. He had seen her in front of zombies and Slitheen, gas-masked people and Daleks and seen her terrified of every single one, but never before had he seen her as scared as she was now. And he knew, this time, it was because of him. And that was about the worst thing, he thought, that could ever happen in his lives. That he could scare Alex like that.

"So, where were we?" he asked, turning back to the Emperor. He knew that he could do nothing now, he'd have to pretend, at least for this minute, that it didn't bother him like it did. And if he tried to approach her now, he didn't think he could handle it if she stepped away.

"We waited here and the dark space. Damaged but rebuilding" The Emperor continued. "Centuries passed, and we quietly infiltrated the systems of Earth, harvesting the waste of humanity. The prisoners, the refugees, the disposed, they all came to us. The bodies were filtered, pulped, sifted. The seed of the human race is perverted, only one cell in a billion was fit to be nurtured"

"So, you created an army of Daleks out of the dead" The Doctor summarized.

"That makes them… half human" Rose guessed.

"Those words are blasphemy!" The Emperor shouted back, enraged.

"Do not blaspheme!" The Daleks chanted.

"Everything human has been purged. I cultivated pure and blessed Dalek" The Emperor corrected. The Doctor looked around at the Daleks, purposely keeping from looking at Alex.

"Since when did the Daleks have a concept of blasphemy?" The Doctor questioned, confused.

"I reached into the dirt and made new life. I am the god of all Daleks!" The Emperor declared.

"Worship him! Worship him! Worship him!" The Daleks chanted together. The Doctor looked around in surprise.

"They're insane!" He told the others. "A hundred years of hiding in silence, that's enough to drive anyone mad. But it's worse than that" He walked closer to a group of Daleks. "Driven mad by your own flesh. The stink of humanity. You hate your own existence, and that makes them more deadly than ever" He turned back to the Emperor. "We're leaving" He announced, watching as Alex rushed back to the Tardis, not even looking at him as she passed.

"You may not leave my presence!" The Emperor Dalek shouted back at them. The Doctor simply stared at them before closing the doors, leaning his head against them with a heavy sigh.

Alex stood by the console, watching him guiltily. It was true, he'd rather scared her. But she knew that was the very last thing he'd wanted to do. Now she felt horrible for letting it get to her, and for letting it show so easily. She knew she had to make it up to him. But in the events to follow, how? It's not like she ever thought this would be easy.

* * *

Alex was the last one out of the Tardis when they'd made it back to the Game Station. She closed the door behind her, hearing it lock as she watched the Doctor rush around, throwing out orders. He's not looked at her since she'd stepped back from him, and she didn't blame him. The Tardis hummed under her fingers and she looked down to where she was still holding the handle. She smiled softly, stroking the wood lovingly before making her way further into the room.

"Lynda, what are you still doing on board?" The Doctor asked suddenly. Alex looked up and frowned.

"Jacob? I thought you would go with the others" She told him, surprised he was even there.

"I told you to evacuate everyone" The Doctor accused, turning to the programmer who sat beside him.

"They wouldn't go" He said simply.

"We… didn't want to leave you guys" Jacob told them, Lynda nodding along. Rose frowned at the two, glancing at Alex and the Doctor, noticing the way they stood on the opposite sides of the pair.

"There weren't enough shuttles anyway" The other programmer spoke up. "Or I wouldn't be here. There are about a hundred people stranded on floor zero"

"Oh my god" The man at the computers spoke up, looking intently at his screen. "The fleet is moving. They're on their way"

The Doctor turned, starting to pull panels off computers to access the wires. Alex frowned at him with the rest for a moment before it clicked in her head. _Delta wave_. She stepped forward to help him pull off one of the panels and he paused a moment, looking up at her. She simply stared back at him before giving a small nod. He returned it before going back to work, tugging wires out, handing some to her and gathering some in his own arms.

"Dalek plan, big mistake" The Doctor started, talking quickly. "Because what have they left me with? Anyone? Anyone?"

"A, uh, a transmitter" Alex stumbled quickly.

"A great big transmitter! My clever human" He praised with a grin. Alex couldn't help but grin in return. "This station" He clarified. "If I can change the signal, fold it back, anyone?"

"You've gotta be kidding" Jack spoke, his questioning look disappearing.

"Give the man a medal!"

"A delta wave?" Jack asked, incredulous.

"A delta wave!" The Doctor repeated excitedly.

"What's a delta wave?" Rose asked with a frown. Alex opened her mouth to explain but closed it again with a frown when she realised she'd forgotten.

"A wave of Van Cassadyne energy" Jack told them. "Fries your brain. Stand in the way of a delta wave and your head gets barbequed" Rose went to say something when Lynda spoke first.

"Well, get started and do it then!" She told them. Rose looked away, disgruntled at being interrupted.

"Trouble is, wave this size, building this big, brain as clever as mine, even with Alex, should take about, ooh, three days?" The Doctor rambled off. "How long 'till the fleet arrive?"

"Twenty-two minutes" The computer man answered, consulting his screen.

"We'll be working on the delta wave just on this floor yeah?" Alex asked, looking to the Doctor, who nodded in confirmation. "Well concentrate the shields, don't let them board on this floor, far down as you can" She told them. The Doctor stared at her a second before grinning.

"Have I ever told you how fantastic you are?" He asked excitedly. Alex smiled.

"Yeah, you have"

"Well I'm saying it again" He got back to work with his wires, waving at the Jack. "Go on, do as she says" He told him. Jack nodded, running the fetch the extrapolator and plug it into the computer. Alex continued working with the Doctor as Jack explained the force field to the programmers. The Doctor called Rose over to help not long later and Alex passed her the wire stripper with a soft smile. Alex stopped working a moment later as she realised what was currently happening. Jack was still ordering people about and the Doctor had said goodbye to Lynda. Jacob was suddenly stood above Alex and she looked up at him.

"I'm… really glad I met you" He told her awkwardly.

"I'm glad too" Alex told him, forcing a smile. She let him pull her to her feet so they were closer to the same height.

"I… don't know what to say" He admitted. Alex laughed softly.

"Yeah, neither do I. I don't like endings" She said softly. He tried to give her an encouraging smile. "Just… do one thing for me"

"What?" He asked, listening closely.

"Stay alive. Live a good life, do everything you dreamed of. Meet a girl, fall in love and start a family. Travel the world, or the universe. Do what you were always afraid to do" She pleaded.

"I doubt I'll ever be afraid again" He told her, nodding. "I promise. And I won't let anyone ever forget what you did here today. I'm gonna tell people, 'I met the girl who saved the world'" Alex laughed.

"You do that" She nodded. There was a pause.

"Goodbye" He said solemnly.

"Goodbye" Alex repeated, watching him go. Jack walked up a moment later, bringing the moment Alex had been dreading.

"It's been fun!" He told the three. The Doctor smiled back at his light tone but Rose didn't react and Alex felt tears at her eyes. "But I guess this is goodbye" His tone changed. Serious and sad now. Alex didn't like the sound of it.

"Don't talk like that. The Doctor's gonna do it. You just watch him" Rose told him hopefully. He cast a glance at Alex and shook his head slightly at her sad expression.

"Rose…" He said softly, taking her face gently in both his hands. "You are worth fighting for" He gave her a brief kiss before pulling away with a slight smile. He turned to the Doctor then.

"Wish I'd never met you Doctor!" He joked, holding his face the same way he did with Rose. "I was much better off as a coward" He kissed him too, before turning to Alex, who had silent tears falling down her face. He cupped her cheeks with a soft sigh.

"Alex… you are more than worth fighting for. And if anyone is the reason I'm not a coward anymore, it's you. You are most definitely, single-handedly the best person I have ever met" He told her sincerely. Alex managed a smile and he grinned in return, leaning down to kiss her. He went to pull away but she wrapped her arms around his neck suddenly, pulling him back down for a moment longer. When she pulled away she hugged him close so her head was in his neck.

"I hope to see you in Cardiff" She whispered. "But the Doctor may be alone. Watch out for him" She pulled away, giving him a sad smile. "You're a good man, Jack" He smiled genuinely at that, remember their first real conversation.

"See you in hell" He grinned.

"Je te vois en enfer, Sparrow" Alex replied, grinning herself at his confused expression. He shook his head at her as he left. Alex's grin fell quickly and she looked down at the ground. A hand fell on her shoulder and she jumped, turning as the Doctor stepped away slightly. She realised suddenly what she had done, he still thought she was scared of him now.

"Doctor…"

"We have to get back to work" He said, shaking it off. Alex nodded, silently helping Rose with stripping the wires.

"He's gonna be alright…" Rose said slowly, as if she was trying to convince herself. She looked between the Doctor and Alex, who both remained silent. "Isn't he?" No answer.

* * *

"Suppose…" Rose trailed off after a moment, trailing off with a shake of her head. There was no one else left on floor 500, just the Doctor and his companions, sitting in silence. Well, almost silence. The rest had gone downstairs to either cower on floor 0, or had taken a gun to help Jack protect floor 500 while they worked. Alex was lost in her thoughts as she worked methodically, thinking about Jack and the Doctor, how she could fix things and show him he didn't scare her, his upcoming regeneration. She glanced up at Rose before looking back down at her work. The Doctor, however, wasn't going to let it go so easily.

"What?" He asked, awaiting her answer.

"Nothing" Rose shook her head again.

"You said 'suppose'" The Doctor pointed out.

"No, I was just thinking… I mean obviously you can't, but… you've got a time machine… Can't you just go back to last week and warn them?" Rose asked slowly.

"Paradoxes would be immense, possibly tear the multiverse apart, wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey" Alex listed off, her tone flat and she stripped the next wire with a little more force than necessary. The Doctor glanced at her before going back to working as he clarified.

"Soon as the Tardis lands in that second, I become part of the events, stuck in the timeline" He explained as he worked.

"Yeah, thought it'd be something like that" Rose admitted, continuing her own work. None of them spoke for another moment.

"There's another thing the Tardis could do… It could take us away…" He told the two slowly. Alex simply shook her head as Rose looked up with a small smile. "We could leave, let history take its course, go to Marbella in 1989"

"Yeah, but you'd never do that" Rose pointed out.

"No but you could ask" He told the two, looking between them. He ducked down slightly, catching Alex's eye. "Never even occurred to you did it?" Alex gave him a soft smile.

"Well, we're just too good" Rose smiled, looking between the two. The Doctor sent her a grin but looked back at Alex. There was a moment of silence as Alex seemed to think over what he'd said.

"I like to think I'm too much like you to think about that" She told him quietly. He grinned at her and she smiled almost shyly back. Rose looked between the two still, smiling softly, like she knew something they didn't. She had been hoping for them to get together from the start, and she knew she had made no mistake. Even with the way Alex kept looking from him down at the wires in her hands, they were both looking at each other like they were seeing the most important thing in the universe.

"Timey what?" The Doctor asked suddenly. Alex laughed.

A computer made a sudden whirring sound and all three of them looked up.

"That's the delta wave" Alex realised, already stumbling to her feet.

"It's started building" The Doctor confirmed, standing also. "How long does it need?" He moved to sit in the chair Alex was already standing behind and the two peered over his shoulders at the writing only he understood. He pressed a few buttons and seemed to read the monitor before his face fell. Alex's expression fell in the same way soon after, looking as if she'd just remembered something.

"Is that bad?" Rose asked, looking between the two. The Doctor leaned forward, his head between his knees. Alex pushed away from the chair, stepping back with her hands running through her hair. Neither answered. "Okay, it's bad" Rose deduced, nodding. "How bad is it?" The Doctor perked up suddenly and jumped to his feet, his eyes bright as he looked down at her.

"Rose Tyler, you're a genius!" He exclaimed suddenly, joyfully. He pulled her forward to place a kiss on her forehead as she grinned. "We can do it! If I use the Tardis to cross my old timeline, yes!" He rushed off to the Tardis, grabbing Alex's hand on the way past. She stumbled slightly as she followed him, her eyes wide. Rose followed, not noticing Alex's panicked look. He let go of her on the ramp and she stopped there, even as he led Rose to the console.

"Hold that down and keep position" He told her quickly, pointing to a lever. Rose did as she was told, looking up at him.

"What's it do?" She asked, slightly breathless.

"Cancels the buffers" He told her, busy looking over the monitor and doing something else. "If I'm very clever, and I'm more than clever, I'm brilliant, I might just save the world. Or rip it apart…"

"I'd go for the first one" Rose told him, nodding to show she understood.

"Me too" he agreed, moving back to Alex on the ramp. "Now, I've just to go and power up the Game Station" With a glance to make sure Rose wasn't paying attention, he took Alex's wrist in one hand.

"Doctor" She said quietly, calm as ever. Before she could say anything else, or even realise anything was happening, he had pulled something from his pocket and she was handcuffed to the railing. She gaped down at it, looking at him in shock. He gave her one last look before running to the door.

"Hold on a tic" He finished, rushing out and letting the door swing shut behind him. Alex gave the handcuffs one hard tug, looking down at them. They looked more advanced than anything she'd known. The engines started and Alex looked back up at the door, her mouth gaping open. She turned back to see the rotor moving.

"No…"

"Doctor, what're you doing? Can I take my hand off? It's moving" Rose called in the direction of the doors. She shifted to look around the console, her mouth falling open in shock as she took in the position Alex was in.

"No"

Rose ran for the doors, pounding on them as if that'd make them open. "Doctor! Let me out!"

"No!" Alex shouted louder, pulling relentlessly at her wrist.

"Let me out! Doctor, what've you done?" Rose continued, glancing back at Alex.

"Doctor!" Alex called out, her voice trailing off eventually as she realised they were gone.

'This is emergency programme one'

Alex and Rose both turned quickly when the Doctor's voice filled the room, slightly distorted like the flickering hologram standing by the console. Alex couldn't help but look away. Had she been crying this whole time?

'Alex, Rose, listen, this is important. If this message is activated, it can only mean one thing. We must be in danger, and I mean fatal. I'm dead, or about to die any second, with no chance of escape'

"No!" The girls shouted at once. Rose ran forward up the ramp as Alex moved as close as she could.

'And that's okay. Hope it's a good death. But I promised to look after you, and that's what I'm doing. The Tardis is taking you home'

"I won't let you" Rose protested, as if he could hear her. She moved even closer until she was standing beside the hologram, but he just looked straight forward, not seeing her.

'And I bet you're fussing and moaning now, typical. But hold on and just listen a bit more. The Tardis can never return for me. Emergency programme one means I'm facing an enemy that should never get their hands on this machine. So this is what you should do, let the Tardis die'

"No!" Alex shouted without hesitation, staring at the flickering picture.

'I mean it Alex' It spoke. He knew she was going to say that… 'Just let this old box gather dust. No one can open it, no one will even notice it. Let it become a strange little thing standing on a street corner. And over the years, the world will move on, and the box will be buried. And if you want to remember me, you can do one thing. That's all, one thing' He turned his head suddenly, facing Rose as if he knew she was there.

"Have a good life. Do that for me, Rose. Have a fantastic life. Look after Alex" He looked to Alex then, knowing where she was too. "Alex, please, keep yourself safe. Look after yourself, and don't blame yourself for this. Go live with Rose, or travel, just live. Live for me" Alex shook her head slightly as his image gave her one last smile before fading away.

"You can't do this" Rose declared, as if he could hear her. "You can't do this to her! You can't!" She yelled, kicking the console and hitting every button and lever she could reach.

"Rose" Alex called, trying to get her attention. As the engines slowed down the handcuffs clicked open. Alex looked down at them, baffled. She shook her head, throwing the object to the ground.

"Take us back!" Rose shouted at the machine "Take us back!" She turned around and rushed outside. Alex closed her eyes against the tears, knowing she'd be finding the outside of the Powell Estate. She ran back inside a moment later, trying to press every button and pull every lever in sight. "Come on, fly. How do you fly? Help me!"

"Rose" Alex repeated, pulling her away from the console. She turned her around to wrap her arms around her, keeping her from abusing the Tardis anymore. She shushed the girl gently, holding her and stroking her hair like the Doctor did for her. She bit back her own tears as Rose cried into her shoulder.

"He's gone" She sobbed. Alex nodded.

"Yeah" She agreed, her voice breaking slightly. "He's gone"

* * *

 **Damn you guys, this starts to get real sad during the end of this chapter and some of the next one. Have fun with that.**


	26. Gone

_"He's gone" Rose sobbed. Alex nodded._

 _"Yeah" She agreed, her voice breaking slightly. "He's gone"_

* * *

Alex stayed inside as Rose left, making her way up to her perch on the maintenance platform. She pulled her legs up to her chest and buried her face between them, trying to imagine The Doctor was there, rushing about the Tardis and glancing at her worriedly when he thought she wasn't looking. The way they did after every dangerous day, after the days that reminded her of her family, or days she managed to blame herself for something. But when she looked up the room was still empty. The door creaked open and Mickey walked in slowly.

"Alex?" he called, glancing around.

"Up here" She said quietly. He looked up at her, seeming sad himself.

"Are you alright?" He asked hesitantly.

"I'm always alright" She responded instinctively.

"No, you're not"

"Get out"

"Alex" he sighed, shaking his head slightly. "You can't just act like everything is fine, when we all know it isn't. You have to-"

"And you can tell me what to do why?" She demanded loudly, stopping him. She stood, her grief turning to anger as she continued to shout, gesturing wildly. "I don't have to do anything. The Doctor is _gone_ , don't you understand? He is out there somewhere, two hundred thousand bloody years in the future, surrounded by the creatures that hate him the most. So I don't think any stupid human is going to be telling me what to do. I am going to get him back. So, Mickey, stay out of my way. Get. Out" Mickey actually looked terrified by this point, rushing to get out of the machine, the door slamming shut behind him.

Alex started pacing on the platform, fuming. She let out an angry yell, kicking the wall as hard as she could. She lost her balance and fell to her hands and knees on the grating, letting out a frustrated huff before her anger dissipated. Tears filled her vision once more and she couldn't find it in herself to hold back this time, a sob pulling free. She had her eyes shut tight when someone pulled her back to sit more comfortably, hugging her close. It took Alex a long time to calm down enough to think about who it was, but when she did she recognised the motherly tone in the touch quickly.

"He- he's gone" She sobbed. Jackie nodded.

"I know. I know, Darling" Was all she said. Alex nodded in return, continuing to cry as Jackie rubbed her back soothingly.

"Come on" She said eventually, pulling the younger girl to her feet. Alex followed her down and out of the Tardis silently, looking down at her feet as she walked.

* * *

Alex found herself sitting beside Rose, staring out the window of a little chip shop as Jackie and Mickey talked across from the girls, trying to act like everything was normal. They seemed to eventually realized it wasn't working, abandoning their conversation and lapsing into silence.

"Oh, girls, have something to eat…" Jackie pleaded, looking over the girls' untouched food packages. Alex glanced at hers, looking away immediately.

"Not hungry" She mumbled, staring out the window again.

"Two hundred thousand years in the future, he's dying, and there's nothing we can do" Rose told the other two, her voice shaking. Alex closed her eyes, looking down.

"Well like you said, two hundred thousand years, its way off" Jackie pointed out.

"It doesn't work that way" Alex spoke softly, but the simple sound of her voice was enough to silence the others. She hadn't spoken more than three words since they had got her to leave the Tardis. "It happening two hundred thousand years in the future, but we're connected to his timeline. Time moving for us is time moving for him. He's dying now" She didn't look at them, returning her gaze to the scenery outside as she fell silent.

"That fight is happening right now, and he's fighting for us" Rose continued in her place. "And I'm just sitting here eating chips!"

"Listen to me" Jackie ordered softly. Rose fell silent. "God knows I have hated that man, but right now, I love him, and do you know why? Because he did the right thing. He sent you back to me. Both of you" Alex's head snapped up as she looked over at the older woman, surprised.

"But what do I do every day mum? What do I do? Get up, catch the bus, go to work, come back home eat chips and go to bed? Is that it?" Rose questioned desperately.

"It's what the rest of us do" Mickey pointed out coldly.

"But I can't!"

"Why, 'cos you're better than us?" He asked challengingly. Alex stood suddenly, her chair screeching behind her as she placed her hands on the table with a loud bang.

"Neither of us have ever said anything of the sort. We don't think we're better than you, but we do know that we're different. Not better, not worse, simply different. Get your head 'round that Mickey" She explained coldly, her voice on the very tipping point between calm and showing the anger she was feeling. Mickey looked rather taken aback, not by her practically yelling at him, but for the use of his real name. Alex moved quickly, walking around Rose and leaving the little shop with the door banging shut behind her. She needed to think of something, and fast. What if having her there meant that Rose didn't think of her plan to open the Tardis? What if she wasn't as determined and so she couldn't convince Jackie to help. How could Alex ever hope the fly the Tardis on her own? And if she got there, what then? With no vortex, she was just handing the Tardis over to the Daleks.

"Alex"

She turned with a gasp, just now taking in her surroundings of the public park down from the Powell Estate. But her eyes were quickly fixed on the man standing behind her.

"Doctor" She breathed out. The young man smiled softly at her, but it looked rather forced.

"It's been a while, Alex" Eleven greeted softly, regarding her. "But I haven't come for a social call"

"What do I do?" She asked breathily, tears threatening again. "He's dying, what could I possibly do?"

"Hand in your pocket, have you noticed that?" He asked, seemingly randomly. Alex glanced down to see that she did, in fact, have one hand in one of her coat pockets.

"How is that… everything's important" She realised. She pulled her hand from her pocket, her eyes widening at the object that came with it.

"You've been carrying it around recently, any idea why?" He pressed. Alex looked up at him, seemingly in shock.

"I- I- I really d- don't know" She stuttered slightly, confused by her own actions. She looked down at the gold pocket watch in her hands, turning it over to trace the Gallifreyan writing on the back. A voice invaded her mind, whispering, talking to her, telling her what she had to do, but the moment it was gone, she had forgotten every word that was said.

"Doctor…" She breathed out. "Am I supposed to open this?"

"Whatever you feel is right" He told her softly. She looked up at him, her mind working on overdrive to analyse him. He was still wearing the same clothes as last time, bow tie still gone. He looked sad, so very sad, but he smiled encouragingly at her nonetheless. She returned her gaze to the watch.

"I'll wait" She told him softly. "It's getting closer, the time of the angel, but not yet" Alex shook her head, frowning at what she had just said.

"That wasn't-"

"I know" The Doctor nodded. "But now you have to go. Back to the Tardis. I couldn't possibly survive without you" He smiled. Alex found herself smiling back as she ran past him to get back to the Tardis. She stopped suddenly, turning around to see him but found he was gone. Alex frowned slightly at the empty space before continuing on. She'd been walking a while, maybe Rose had thought up her plan already. If she was very lucky, she might get there just in time to take over from Rose. She had promised to protect her, and that meant from anything. She had seen the vortex before, and she was still here. She just hoped now that she wasn't too late.

* * *

Alex managed to return to the Tardis to find only Rose sitting inside, crying. Alex sat down next to where she was on the flight seat, holding the other girl close. She felt the watch heat up slightly in her hand and sighed.

"Rose… there's something I need to do" She told the younger girl. She looked up, wiping her tears away as she frowned at her friend.

"What d'you mean?" She asked in a mumble.

"I mean… Something kinda dangerous, to save the Doctor. So to do this kinda dangerous thing… I have to do something else first, and I'm not sure what will come of it" She tried to explain. Rose blinked in confusion.

"What's the first thing?" She asked slowly.

"Well… it'd take a while to explain. But, if it works, by the end of this, I may not be me anymore"

"How d'you mean?"

Alex actually smiled down at her for a moment.

"Rose Tyler" She sighed. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes" She answered instantly. Alex gave a small nod, standing up and stepping away from her, the watch held out so they could both see.

"I open this… things might never be the same again, I may never come back" She said slowly. Rose just watched with wide eyes and her mouth hanging open, unsure how to respond. Alex took a deep breath to prepare herself.

She pressed the small button at the top, and the watch sprung open. With a flash of gold, the inside of the watch lit up and Alex gasped as a wisp of gold flew right at her, and she breathed it in. She stumbled, falling to her knees with sudden force. Rose called her name, jumping off the seat to kneel beside her, holding her up. Mickey was just outside in time to hear Rose calling her frantically. He joined the two at a distance, staring. Neither understood what was currently happening.

Alex's gold tinged eyes were moving rapidly, as if the memories she was receiving were to be physically read. It was only a moment longer before her eyes rolled back into her head and she fell forward, Rose barely catching her. Mickey rushed over to help Rose lay the girl on the floor, both watching her anxiously. It was only several seconds more when her eyes flew open, the gold disappearing quickly as she sat up with a gasp. She glanced between Rose and Mickey, stumbling to her feet to back away.

"Alex?" Rose called hesitantly, remembering what she had said about not being her.

"What? Who's-" She stopped suddenly, her eyes widening in what looked like realisation. "Oh, hello" She mused, staring off into the distance somewhere as she seemed to listen to something. "I see, second set of memories, nearly different person, that's interesting. Hello then Alex" Rose and Mickey exchanged a glance, neither being able to understand the conversation going on in her head. "Rose Tyler" She said suddenly, her gaze moving to her. She turned to Mickey then, a light frown crossing her features. "And… Ricky? Oh, no, you cheeky little human you, well human me so I shouldn't be surprised. Mickey Smith, but we're just gonna keep calling you Ricky" She grinned at him.

"So… who exactly… are you?" Rose asked slowly.

"Has she not told you who I am?" She asked in disbelief, looking between the two. Both shook their heads. "Oh, that's alright, Alex didn't know, I see. Interesting. Um, I can't actually tell you my name. Can't tell anyone, secret, you see, shh" She rambled off.

"Is there… something we could call you?" Rose tried again. The other girl's face fell.

"I had a title once, but I am no longer deserving of it. I must pick something else" She explained slowly now, surprising the two with her sudden change. "Maybe something more accurate. Nemo" She mused. "Oh but wait, Alex is listening in, what am I missing, Al?" She went silent suddenly, as if she got an answer she didn't like.

"Rose, Ricky, go outside, wait for Jackie, meet me in here when you're ready to try again" She ordered quickly.

"What-"

"Shut up Ricky, just go"

With that, the two did as they were told, Rose returning to hook the chain onto the console again a couple minutes later.

"You can still hear Alex in there?" She asked hesitantly. The girl nodded.

"But she probably won't remember any of this" She told the blonde. "Now, tell Ricky to get going. We have someone to save" She positioned herself in front of the console, watching Rose out of the corner of her eye as she moved to stand just inside the door. Jackie stood just outside and Mickey drove the truck she had brought, the chain attached straining at the console.

"A little more!" She shouted back, hearing Rose and Jackie repeat it over the straining of the truck. The metal of the console creaked and her heart beat even faster. "Faster!" She shouted over her shoulder. "Okay Alex" She muttered softly. "You'd better be ready for this" Finally, the panel flew open and she moved to stand in front of the open space, the blinding white light shining onto her.

"Rose, stay back" She warned.

There was a wind from seemingly nowhere to push her hair back over her shoulders as two streams of gold from the heart of the Tardis raced towards her and flowed into her eyes. Rose watched in shock from her place on the ramp, holding the railing tightly as the Tardis took off, the engines groaning loudly as always. They landed with a thud and Rose was silent as Alex made her way to the doors.

The doors of the Tardis flew open and Alex stood right inside, the golden light of time vortex swirling around her. She disappeared with a flash, rematerializing outside the ship. The Doctor, who had been staring at her in shock, stumbled backwards, falling to the ground.

"What've you done?" He asked, horrified. Alex looked down at him, the gold swirled eyes he recognised too well. When she spoke, it was strange to think it was her, just about her whole curious mix of accents that made her uniquely her, seemed gone.

"I looked into the Tardis, and the Tardis looked into me"

"You looked into the time vortex, Alex, no one's meant to see that" He corrected. "There's only one person in the universe who has" He added to himself.

"This is the abomination!" The Emperor Dalek declared, bringing Alex's attention to the screen.

"Exterminate!" One of the Daleks cried, shooting at her. She held up at single hand, stopping the beam where it was before sending it back where it came from. The Doctor looked up at her in amazement.

" _I_ am the Bad Wolf" She declared calmly. "I take the words… I scatter them in time and space" She waved her hand at the giant lettering on the wall above them, the words floating away. "A message to lead myself here. Me and no one else"

"Alex, you've got to stop this. You've got to stop this now" The Doctor begged, concerned and terrified for her. She didn't respond, didn't even act like she'd heard him. "You've got the entire vortex running through your head, you're gonna burn"

"I want you safe" She told him, desperation clear in her voice now as she looked down at him. He was shocked silent. "My Doctor, protected from the false god"

"You cannot hurt me. I am immortal" The Emperor claimed.

"You are tiny" Alex all but snapped, looking back up at the screen. "I see every single atom of your existence, and I divide them" She raised her hand and the Dalek in the middle of the room was reduced to nothing but gold particles, floating away. "Everything must come to dust, all things, everything dies" She looked to the side and the rows of Daleks in the room all turned to golden dust as she had said.

"The Time War ends" She declared.

"I will not die! I cannot die!" The Emperor claimed, screwing its one eye tightly shut. The entire Dalek mothership was reduced to golden dust in space, closely followed by the rest.

Alex stood still when they were gone, her arms still raised even as her body trembled.

"Alex, you've done it. Now stop. Just let it go" The Doctor begged her.

"How can I let go of this?" She spoke softly, her voice almost blissful. "I bring life…"

"But this is wrong!" The Doctor protested, terrified. "You can't control life and death"

"But I can" She insisted, looking down at him again. "The sun and the moon… the day and the night… but why do they hurt?" She asked, her voice faltering.

"The power's gonna kill you and it's my fault" The Doctor responded softly, looking down.

"I can see everything" Alex continued, a tear falling. The Doctor looked back up at her. "All that is… all that was… all that ever could be" The Doctor stood suddenly, looking down at her in almost awe.

"That's what I see. All the time" he told her honestly. "And doesn't it drive you mad?" Another tear fell from her eye as she looked up at him desperately. All of a sudden, it seemed her voice returned, and she sounded like her again when she spoke.

"My head" She whimpered, terrified. The pain was worse than she had ever felt in her life and worse than she could have imagined.

"Come here" He coaxed gently, reaching out to her.

"It's killing me" She cried.

"I think you need a Doctor"

He took her hands, pulling her closer to him. Alex knew what he was doing, she could see it in his eyes, the way he looked at her. But her mind was clouded with the power and the pain of the vortex and with everything moving through her head she couldn't focus on one thing. She could barely keep her eyes on him as he leaned down close to her. Their lips met slowly, softly, and Alex almost tried to pull away when she felt the vortex leaving. The Doctor moved, his hands resting on either side of her face now, keeping her from retreating. When he pulled away the two looked at each other for a moment and Alex's eyes fluttered closed as she fell, the Doctor lowering her to the ground gently.

He stood, facing the Tardis with the golden light in his eyes now. He took in a breath and slowly let it out, letting the vortex flow from him back into the Tardis where it belonged. The doors shut quietly and he stumbled slightly as his eyes opened once more. He thought back over the last few moments and smiled to himself, kneeling down beside the girl who had come back for him. He stroked the side of her face softly, watching her sleep peacefully.

* * *

Alex woke slowly, her eyes opening to reveal the console room ceiling.

"Wha… what happened?" She asked groggily, glancing around at the Doctor and Rose as she sat up.

"Don't you remember?" The Doctor asked, frowning slightly.

"I don't actually" She shook her head. "Like… this, I don't know, singing"

"That's right, I sang a song and the Daleks ran away" The Doctor nodded cheerily. Alex snorted in amusement, shaking her head slightly as she tried to remember.

"We were back in London. Wait, no, in the Tardis. Rose was there and I…" She trailed off, frowning. She looked up at the Doctor to find him staring at her. He smiled softly.

"Alexandria Collins, one of the longest human names I've ever had to say" He laughed slightly. Alex glanced at Rose, who was standing by one of the coral supports, watching the man closely. She went back to watching him herself. "I was gonna take you to so many places. Barcelona. Not the city Barcelona, the planet. You'd love it. Fantastic place. They've got dogs with no noses" He laughed and Alex couldn't help but join in slightly, rolling her eyes at him. He never told the actual joke.

"Imagine how many times a day you end up telling that joke, and it's still funny" He shook his head slightly.

"Debateable" Alex added in.

"The why can't we go?" Rose asked, confused.

"Maybe you will, and maybe I will. But not like this" He told her, looking back at the monitor. Alex went pale as she stood, watching him intently.

"You're not making sense" Rose accused.

"I might never make sense again. I might have two heads. Or no head! Imagine me with no head, and don't say that's an improvement" He rambled off. Rose smiled at his joking but Alex was staring at him with barely concealed horror. "But it's a bit dodgy, this process. Never know what you're gonna end up with"

There was a sudden flash of gold light and the Doctor stumbled backwards, clutching his stomach as he cried out in pain. Rose went to rush forward but Alex managed to pull her back, despite wanting to do the same.

"Stay away!" The Doctor told them quickly. He winced in pain and Alex felt a tear fall.

"You can't do this. Doctor, you can't" She begged. His gaze was drawn to her and he looked heartbroken at her sadness. "I've only just got to know this you, I- I don't want to lose you. Please"

"Doctor, Alex, please tell me what's going on" Rose pleaded.

"I absorbed all the energy of the time vortex" The Doctor explained simply, trying to keep his tone light even as he gritted his teeth against the pain. "And no one's meant to do that!" He paused, closing his eyes tightly against the pain. "Every cell in my body's dying"

"Can't you do something?" Rose asked urgently.

"He's doing it now" Alex told her, not taking her eyes off the man. She sounded almost betrayed.

"Time Lords have this little trick" He continued for her. "It's sort of a way of cheating death. Except… it means I'm gonna change. And I'm not gonna see you again. Not like this, not with this daft old face" He laughed, trying to lighten the mood, but both girls just stared at him. "And before I go-"

"Don't say that"

"Rose"

There was silence for a moment.

"Before I go, I just wanna tell you, you were fantastic. Both of you" he smiled. "Absolutely fantastic. And d'you know what? So was I" Finally the girls managed one last smile and he grinned back at them.

"Doctor…" Alex whimpered slightly. He looked at her, seeming almost guilty.

"I'm sorry…"

Suddenly he convulses and orange light bursts out from around his hands, around his head, even glowing around the bottom of his trousers. Rose stumbled back and Alex jumped forward, grabbing her back and holding her tightly as she watched the man she loved change into someone else, tears streaming down her own face. And suddenly, the light was gone, and there he was. Someone else, wearing the Doctor's clothes.

He looked very surprised, almost scared even, in his first few moments, but his eyes landed on the girls and he looked them over a moment.

"Hello! Okay- ooh" He stopped suddenly, running his tongue over his teeth. Rose stared at him in undisguised shock as Alex merely stared at him, the drying tears on her face the only clue that she had any kind of emotion about his regeneration. "New teeth. That's weird. So where was I? Oh, that's right. Barcelona" The girls simply stared at him and he grinned.

* * *

 **Hey look it's a new Doctor! And this marks the end of the season so guys, really quick, could you pop over to my profile and answer the poll question for 'should I keep posting the new chapters on this story, or publish them in a new one as a sequel' I'm massively paraphrasing but oh well. I hope you've all enjoyed this story so far and I hope you'll stick with Alex into the Doctor's next regeneration. She's got her memories back! Review if you like! Until next time!**


	27. Going Wrong

**Oh hey look I'm back! I didn't wanna post here again until I got far enough into writing this season, but I'm up to The Girl In the Fireplace and life has been just insane recently, you have no idea. I was on a different continent last time I posted here. So here's the Children In Need Special with Alex thrown in, for your enjoyment.**

* * *

The Doctor ran about the console, jumpy as usual as he piloted the Tardis, talking out loud as he set the co-ordinates.

"6PM, Tuesday, October, 5006, on the way to Barcelona! Now then" He stopped in front of them. "What do I look like? No, no no, no no no no no no no. No. Don't tell me, let's see" He looked himself over. "Two legs, two arms, two hands" He grabbed one of his wrists, feeling it as he rotated the joint. "Slight weakness in the dorsal tubercule" He left his wrist alone, moving his hands upwards until they found what he had been waiting for. "Hair!" He exclaimed happily. "I'm not bald! Oh, oh! Big hair! Side burns, I've got sideburns! Or really bad skin… Little bit thinner, that's weird, give me time, I'll get used to it" He dropped his shirt back down and froze suddenly. "I. Have got. A mole. I can feel it, between my shoulder blades there's a mole" He shifted his shoulders a bit more before grinning. "That's alright. Love the mole. Go on then, tell me, what do you think?"

"Who are you?" Rose asked, finally having pause in his talking to ask. His face fell.

"I'm the Doctor"

"No, where is he? Where's the Doctor? What have you done to him?"

"You saw me, I- I changed, right in front of you" He tried, pointing over his shoulder to the very spot he had regenerated.

"I saw him sort of explode and then you replaced him like a- a teleport or a transmat or a body swap or something" She inched closer slightly, poking his chest with one finger. "You're not fooling me. I've seen all sorts of things, Nanogenes, Gelth, Slitheen… Oh my god, are you a slitheen?"

"I'm not a Slitheen" He spoke evenly.

"Send him back. I'm warning you send the Doctor back right now! He's not gonna be happy to find you've upset Alex" Rose ranted at him. The Doctor went to answer but his eyes locked on Alex, just now noticing how she bit her lip to keep from crying, tears coming anyway. She looked like she could barely stand on her own. He froze. How could he do this to her.

Alex still stared at him, sniffing slightly. Her eyes moved over his new face, his hair, his thinner body mostly concealed by his old clothes hanging off him, even his hands looked different. Then one of them was reaching out to her. She stared at it a moment before lifting her own, slipping it into his like they were made to fit. She sniffed once more, trying to regain her composure.

"It's him Rose" She told the blonde. "This is the Doctor. He had to change to keep himself from dying, he's done it before. And although it may seem to be nothing like him… It's him. The things on the inside, that's the only thing that doesn't change, his mind. But that's what makes him. He's still the Doctor" The man in question nodded, tugging on her hand to pull her in for a hug. She returned it quickly, burying her face in that familiar spot in his neck that seems a bit higher up now. Amazingly, he still almost smelled the same. He still had that familiar scent that was so uniquely him, even if now it was tinged with something different and a hint of ash.

She pulled away after a bit, giving him a small smile, which he returned with a grin.

"I want to hear it from him" Rose declared suddenly. The Doctor turned to her. "Prove it" He gave Alex one last glance and she nodded, pulling her hands from his and pushing him in the other girl's direction.

"Very first word I ever said to you. Trapped in that cellar, surrounded by shop window dummies… oh… such a long time ago. I took your hand…" He took her hand slowly, watching as she glanced down at them together. "I said one word, just one word. I said… Run"

"Doctor?" Rose breathed out, finally believing it. He grinned.

"Hello. And we never stopped, did we. Picked up a passenger" He got to Alex and twirled her under his arm, grinning as she laughed slightly. "And just kept running. All across the universe. Running, running, running" He continued around the console, stopping at the other side and looking up at them. "One time we had to hop, remember? Hopping for our lives?" He hopped on the spot to demonstrate. "Yeah? All that hopping? Remember hopping for your life? Yeah? Hop? With the…No?" He stopped hopping, staring at the two girls.

"Can you change back?" Rose asked quietly.

"Do you want me to?"

"Yeah"

"Oh"

There was a moment of silence.

"Can you?"

"No. Do you want to leave?" He asked hesitantly. Rose stared at him, shocked and almost offended.

"Do you want me to leave?"

"No! But… your choice… if you want to go home" He looked at Alex a moment as he said this. Neither girl answered so he turned back to the console. "Cancel Barcelona, change to… London, the Powell Estate… ah… let's say the 24th of December. Consider it a Christmas present. There" That done, he stepped back to watch the two again, his arms crossed with his hand shoved in under his armpits in an almost defensive position.

"I'm going home?" Rose asked slowly.

"Up to you, back to your mum… it's all waiting. Fish and chips, sausage and mash, beans on toast. No, Christmas! Turkey! Although knowing your mother, nut loaf would be more appropriate" Alex rolled her eyes but smiled with a shake of her head. Rose looked away as a slight smile graced her lips. "Was that a smile?"

"No"

"That was a smile" He corrected with a grin and a sing song voice.

"No it wasn't"

"You smiled"

"No I didn't" She shook her head, looking down at the console beside her.

"Oh come on, I only changed, I didn't-" He convulsed suddenly, gagging on his words. Alex took a step forward, her eyes shining with fear for her friend.

"What?" Rose blinked.

"I said I didn't-" It happened again, more violently this time and Alex rushed forward just in time to catch him and fall to her knees herself. She grunted slightly under his weight, still attempting to hold him up as he leaned against the console. "Uh oh"

"Er, are you alright?" Rose asked hesitantly, unsure what was happening to him. "What's that?"

"Oh, the change is going a bit wrong and all" he waved off.

"Look… maybe we should go back and find Captain Jack, he'd know what to do" Rose suggested.

"Gah, he's busy!" The Doctor brushed off. "He's got plenty to do, rebuilding the Earth!" Alex was about to say something about it when something on the console caught his eye. "I haven't used this one in years" He reached out a flicked a switch before Alex could stop him. The Tardis lurched suddenly and the entire ship shook violently.

"What're you doing?" Rose demanded, grabbing at the console in an attempt to stay on her feet.

"Putting on a bit of speed!" The Doctor declared in a slightly crazed voice, jumping up and away from Alex to run around the console, pressing more buttons and flicking more switches. "That's it! My beautiful ship! Come on, faster! That's a girl! Faster! Wanna break the time limit?"

Alex stood, trying her best to calm the ship in any way she could without the Doctor noticing. Post-regeneration can do all sorts of things to a person, and he seemed pretty happy to let them crash, it was likely he wouldn't take well her fixing his mistakes.

"Stop it!" Rose cried, still struggling to stay upright.

"Ah don't be so dull. Let's have a bit of fun" He told her. He stopped suddenly.

Alex was suddenly yanked backwards and she cried out in shock as she fell to the ground, her head hitting one of the bars of the railing. She closed her eyes tightly, hissing in pain as she carefully touched the back of her head. When she looked up the Doctor was staring at her in absolute horror.

"The regeneration's going wrong. I can't stop myself. Ah, my head…" He lowered his head on the console, breathing heavily a moment before he popped back up, forgetting all about the girl behind him. "Faster!" He cried again, the crazed tone coming back. "Let's open those engines!" The cloister bells rung loudly in protest and Alex squeezed her eyes shut at the sound amplifying her sudden headache.

"What's that?" Rose asked, terrified.

"We're gonna crash land!" The Doctor declared, popping up over her shoulder with a manic laugh.

"Well then, do something!"

"Too late! Out of control!" He rushed around the console once more. "Oh, I love it. Hot dawg!"

"You're gonna kill us!"

"Hold on tight, here we go! Christmas eve!"

Alex, even in her slightly dazed state, grabbed at the railing and held on tightly as she could. This was not going to be as fun for them as it seemed to be for the Doctor.


	28. Catch

Alex was right, crashing was not fun. But she had managed to keep her grip on the railing so she didn't get any more hurt. The Doctor ran to the doors as soon as they landed and Alex let go of the bars, breathing heavily as she tried to get her vision to refocus. That's not a good sign.

"Alex?" She heard Rose's voice but it felt far away, or like she was hearing it through water. "Alex" She blinked around the blurry room, trying to pick out the image of Rose. "Alex!" She was suddenly in front of her and her vision cleared.

"Where's… the Doctor?" She asked dazedly.

"He ran outside. But Alex-" She didn't get time to finish as Alex stumbled to her feet against Rose's protests. She leaned heavily on the console and the railings as she made her way quickly to the doors. By the time she got them open she fell through just in time for Mickey to catch her as her knees hit the ground. He asked her what had happened and looked worried but she ignored him, looking around until she spotted the Doctor unconscious on the ground. She pushed Mickey away and crawled over to him as Rose was leaving the Tardis.

She quickly asked if he was okay, even as she was crouching down to hold Alex steady. Even sitting, she looked like she was about to fall at any moment. Rose quickly explained who he was but she fell silent when Mickey asked what was wrong with Alex.

"Alex, can you walk?" Rose asked gently. Alex's head snapped up and a name tumbled out of her mouth before she could think about it.

"Susan?" She frowned to herself. "No, no wrong face. Sorry, not it, later one, Romana? No, human. Sarah? No this is too early far too early. Let's see, I can get it, hold on" She looked around frowning slightly. "When am I?"

The three exchanged worried glanced before Rose answered softly. "2006"

"Ah, 21st century Earth, always the best. But that means…" She looked her over. "Living in the 21st century, human, oh" She grabbed a handful of Rose's hair rather suddenly but was very careful not to pull on it at all as she looked over the blonde color.

"Alex?"

"Rose Tyler" She declared, looking as if she'd just figured something out. She frowned "I should know that, I should've remembered that. Something's gone wrong" She stood suddenly, swaying even as Rose and Micky attempted to steady her. "Ah, my head" She groaned, holding her head in her hands.

"Alright" Rose started, seeming to decide someone needed to start giving instructions. "Mum, watch the Doctor a moment while Mickey and I take Alex inside, we'll be back for him" She told her. Jackie nodded and Rose and Mickey each made sure one of Alex's arms was firmly over their shoulders as they set off.

"No, something is wrong, something is very wrong, Rose Tyler!" She insisted loudly, digging her heels in.

"I'm sure it is, and I'm sure you'll figure it out" Rose told her calmly. Alex paused a moment, thinking over what she'd said before nodding slowly.

"Yeah… yeah I will"

It wasn't long before they got Alex inside, but she refused to lie down when they asked her to, so they had to be content with her sitting on the couch. She was only alone for a moment before Jackie hurried in, standing by the door so she could watch her and at the same time see Rose and Mickey's progress with the Doctor. Alex was muttering to herself incessantly, switching between English and a language none of them could understand and listing off names none of them recognised.

They took turns trying to talk to her but she didn't even seem to hear them, staring straight ahead and mumbling under her breath as she seemed to be thinking.

"Memories!" She shouted suddenly, making Mickey, who was the only other person in the lounge, jump. Rose and Jackie rushed in and she turned and jumped over the back of the couch to stumble into Rose. "I- I- Rose Tyler, you. I can trust you. That's what it says. In here" She tapped herself on the head.

"Yes, you can trust me" Rose nodded, hoping she'd tell her what was wrong.

"You… are a friend"

"I am your friend" She confirmed patiently.

"But there- there are other people. Not friends, can't trust. Cybermen, Koschei, plastic, Adam, Daleks" She rambled off. "I know you. I know Rose Tyler. Rose Tyler knows Alex" She paused, frowning slightly. "Alex… That's… that's me?"

"Yes, that's you" Rose told her gently.

"But what about…" She shook her head, seeming to decide whatever other thing she was thinking of was not important. "My head. It's wrong, it's broken" She told Rose, who looked rather alarmed at this piece of information.

"Broken how?"

"New memories, old memories, they don't fit together, I'm trying but I can't!" She explained, sounding upset. "I am… the same person" She pulled out her pocket watch, placing it in Rose's open hand. "The same person both thinking I was human and trapped inside here. The same person but separate for so long it's almost different. They need to fit together, but they don't. They don't fit!"

"Alex, calm down" Rose urged her. "Deep breaths for me, can you do that?" Alex nodded, breathing exaggeratedly. "Good"

"Where is he?"

Rose looked startled by the sudden question.

"The Doctor?"

"No, I mean- wait, yes. That's the name he uses, for the humans, since the Academy. The Doctor, yes him. Where is he?"

Rose blinked in surprise at the implication behind her words, but quickly led her to the guest room where the Doctor was still sleeping. Alex pushed Rose away to get to the bed, climbing up and curling up beside him. She started talking softly in the other language and Rose and Jackie shared a look before leaving them alone. It was around an hour later that Jackie came back in to check on the younger girl, smiling at the sight of her asleep, curled into the Doctor's side.

* * *

Alex stirred slowly at the sound of yelling and frowned, glancing at the Doctor still unconscious beside her. She closed her eyes to allow her to think for a moment, trying once more to piece everything into one big picture. She was so close. There was suddenly screaming and Rose Tyler stood at the door.

"We've got to save the Doctor and Alex!" She insisted. There was another woman shouting and a man, but Alex couldn't see them from where she was. There was more yelling and the man ran into the room. Alex was staring at the door intensely, no trace of fear. She watched the man a moment.

Mickey Smith, Rose Tyler's friend, ex-boyfriend. Friend. Not travelling friend. Call him Ricky.

The older woman rushed in after a moment and her and Mickey pushed a dresser in front of the door. Rose glanced at Alex as she stopped beside the bed, but she was still staring at the other woman.

Jackie Tyler, Rose Tyler's mother. Friend, or close enough. Not travelling friend. Do not anger.

"Doctor wake up!" Rose cried desperately, glancing worriedly at Alex as she continued to simply stare at the door. Jackie and Mickey leaned against the wardrobe, trying to make sure the tree didn't get through. Rose grabbed the Doctor's leather jacket and found his sonic screwdriver quickly, placing it in his hand. The wardrobe shook and it wasn't long before it was smashed to pieces, Mickey and Jackie being thrown back with the force as a Christmas tree spun wildly into the room. Amidst all the yelling and shouting and screaming, Alex leaned back on the bed, getting closer to the Doctor.

"Doctor, help us" She whispered. She sat back up slightly and the Doctor sat up suddenly, pointing his sonic screwdriver at the Christmas tree and it exploded in a shower of sparks.

"Remote control" He pointed out.

"But who's controlling it?" Alex followed up. The two jumped off the bed and strode out the door in unison, leaving the other three to follow along. The two walked out of the flat onto the balcony, the Doctor tying a dressing gown on as he went. They stopped at the wooden barrier, looking over at the three creatures standing in the middle of an empty courtyard, wearing Santa masks.

"That's them!" Mickey told them. "What are they?"

"Shush!" Rose admonished, watching the Doctor as he stared at them. He raised the sonic threateningly and the creatures stepped back, closer to each other, before teleporting away with flashes of blue.

"They've just gone!" Mickey pointed out in surprise. "What kind of rubbish were they? I mean, no offence, but they're not much cop in a sonic screwdriver's gonna scare them off"

"Pilot fish" Alex and the Doctor said in unison, both still staring at the spot where they had disappeared.

"What?" Rose looked between the two. She seen them do this a lot, who hadn't? But this looked somehow different. This wasn't Alex knowing what he was going to say, this was them having the same thought in the same moment and neither of them did their stupid grinning thing they did when it usually happened. Both looked completely serious.

"They were just pilot fish" The Doctor clarified. He suddenly stumbled back into the wall, falling even as Alex tried to hold him up. Just like that, her calm disappeared. She was wide-eyed and almost panicking at the sight of the Doctor in pain.

"What's wrong?" Rose asked as the other three quickly joined her.

"I woke him up too soon" Alex told her, devastated. "He's still regenerating, too much energy still, he's bursting with it" The Doctor's mouth fell open and a wisp of golden energy floated away.

"You see?" The Doctor continued for her, panting slightly. "The pilot fish could smell it, a million miles away. So they eliminate the defence, that's you lot, and they carry me off. They could run their batteries off me for a couple of year-ah!" He lurched forward, ending up with Mickey holding him off the ground on the other side of the balcony.

"My head!" He groaned, gritting his teeth against the pain. Alex suddenly gasped in pain and the Doctor looked up at her. "No, no, no, no, no" He said quickly, seeming to know what was wrong with her "Disconnect, now, you have to"

"Doctor"

"Someone, get her away!" He insisted, hissing in pain again. Jackie kneeled down in front of him and Rose took over holding him up so Mickey could take Alex as he'd said.

"No!" She cried, trying to get away, but still squeezing her eyes shut against the pain. "No, I need him. I need him!"

"What's wrong with you?" Mickey asked urgently but gently, holding her back.

"I- it's a connection. Me and him, telepathic neural connection. Something happens to him, I'll know, I'll feel it" She explained quickly. "But I can't-" She paused suddenly, as if she'd just remembered something. "Need to fix my head, need to fix it" She muttered, seeming to come to a decision. "There is something I could do, fix my head while helping him rest. But Mickey you will need to trust me" Mickey nodded.

"Yeah, whatever you need, what can I do?" He offered.

"Just one thing" She told him.

"Yeah?"

"Catch"

Before he had time to be confused her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed into him. He managed to catch her looking over his shoulder to see the Doctor had done the same. Rose was now holding him up, looking up at Mickey as they shared the same look. _What do we do?_


	29. Sycorax Sword Fight

Mickey carried Alex back inside while Jackie and Rose heaved the Doctor in after. Mickey had stopped in the hall as the two tried to get the Doctor back into the spare room. They had gotten the two too close it seemed and they had grabbed each other's hands, refusing even in their unconscious state to let go. This meant that the only course of action was to squeeze the two into the one bed, but they didn't seem to mind. Despite this, they were both rather restless in sleep.

* * *

"Oh come on Sweetheart. What do you need? What is it you need, tell me…" Jackie's voice begged softly. Alex felt bad for putting the three of them through this. Is was her fault the Doctor had to regenerate, and then she had to go and pass out too. But that didn't mean she couldn't hear them. But she couldn't focus on them, not now. What she needed to do was focus on piecing her memories back together. The sooner she did that, the sooner she could wake up.

It was a while later and Alex was nearly finished when she heard shouting from outside. She tried to listen but she couldn't make out any words. She could just barely hear the door open and Rose and Mickey talking before they left. She waited and listened to what was going on until they returned some time later. Harriet Jones was on the TV some time later, reminding Alex that she needed to sort out the memories of her too. She was working on those before she started listening in on the televised announcement.

"…but I have one request. Doctor, if you're out there… we need you. I don't know what to do, but if you can hear me Doctor. If anyone knows the Doctor, if anyone can find him, the situation has never been more desperate. Help us, please Doctor, help us"

Her attention was drawn from Harriet to the sound of crying. Rose, standing in the doorway of their room, crying.

"They're gone" She sobbed to someone. "Both of them are gone. They've left me, mum. They've left me…" Jackie shushed her gently, whispering to her. "He's different" She went on. "It's wrong, he hurt her, Mum"

"Hurt who?" Jackie asked in a cautious tone.

"He hurt Alex"

Jackie didn't respond but the sound of Rose's soft crying continued. There was a sudden loud crash and mass shattering from all around them. Alex was close enough to the edge for it to wake her properly if that was what she'd wanted. And it was.

Alex sat up with a gasp, looking around to try and find some way to see outside. Seeing that there was none she jumped off out of bed and ran out the door, right past the startled Tylers. She swung the door open and ran out onto the balcony, looking around at the smashed windows everywhere. She ran to the stairs, going straight down and ignoring the fact that she was wearing some of Rose's pyjamas and had no shoes on the same way she ignored the voices calling her name.

She stopped in the courtyard space in front of the Powell Estate, looking up. And there it was, perhaps the biggest spaceship Alex could ever think she'd see. And yet, simultaneously, she'd already seen bigger. She looked over what she could see of the ship, continuing to walk around the empty concrete space with her eyes up. She couldn't tell much about the ship itself, but she knew from both her memories of the show and what she had heard of the television, what they were facing.

Sycorax

Someone put a hand on her shoulder to stop her walking when she neared the building once more. Bad move. She turned, grabbing hold of the person and trapping them against the wall before she had time to register the face.

"Ricky" She said softly.

"Hey, Alex" He returned, just as quiet, and surprisingly seeming unafraid. "We've got to go now, we've got to get to the Tardis, okay?" He explained. Alex gave a curt nod and started off in the direction of where she remembered the Tardis was. Mickey followed along behind her, walking silently but watching her closely. She walked into the Tardis, looking around.

"I'll be back in a bit" Mickey told her.

"Will Rose Tyler be here" Alex asked quickly.

"Yeah, she will" Mickey told her. He seemed to pause, like he wanted to say something more, but left without another word. The ship hummed softly around her and Alex walked slowly around the console, trailing her fingers along the metal. Alex hummed softly to herself and the Tardis hummed along with her. Alex took another moment before retreating to her regular spot on the repair platform. She closed her eyes and rested her head against the wall as she reviewed the last few out of place memories.

It was strange, she thought, trying to find the reason they didn't fit. She had two sets of memories for some things. The autons under the London eye, Rose being locked in a room with the Gelth and then Alex in her place, Rose standing with a Dalek then replaced by Alex, Rose with the Doctor and Jack, then Alex standing in her place watching her with the infected. Rose surrounded by the light of the vortex, her face flickering and changing between her and Alex. The memories were doubled, because she had seen them happen, then she had changed them. The timeline had been altered.

The doors creaked and Alex's eyes snapped open to look as Rose and Mickey struggled to get the Doctor inside. They looked around a moment, almost panicked, before Rose spotted her, tapping Mickey on the shoulder to point her out. Alex, however, had her gaze focussed on the man they had laid down on the grating. She jumped down and moved to sit beside him without a word to either of them. Alex crossed her legs as she took the Doctor's hand in both of her own.

"You, um… fixed your head?" Rose asked hesitantly.

"I've come quite close" Alex told them, not looking up. "But some are strange, doubled in a way. I've got as close as I can, think I'll have to make do" There was a moment of quiet before Jackie walked in, her grocery bags bustling about as she placed them down but otherwise quiet.

"Any chance either of you can fly this thing?" Mickey asked, looking around at the console.

"No clue" Rose shook her head.

"Can't" Alex told him. "Not with that ship up there, they'll find us instantly. We're actually much safer remaining on Earth"

"So what do we do, just sit here?" Mickey asked, looking at her. She gave a small shrug, her attention back on the Doctor as she stroked his hair from his forehead.

"That's as good as it gets" Rose huffed, clearly frustrated.

"Right, here we go. Nice cup of tea" Jackie announced, handing Mickey the thermal flask.

"Hmm, the solution to everything" Rose muttered under her breath.

"Now stop your moaning" Jackie admonished. "I'll get the rest of the food" With that, she left the Tardis, leaving the thermos balancing on the console. Alex looked over her shoulder at it for a moment before looking back at the Doctor.

"Tea, like we're having a picnic when the world comes to an end. Very British" Mickey commented. Alex gave a small nod of agreement, her hand still brushing through the Doctor's hair.

"How does this thing work?" Mickey asked then. "It picks up TV, maybe we could see what's going on out there. Maybe we've surrendered" he pressed a couple buttons, frowning at the still blank screen. "What did you do to it?"

"I dunno, it sort of tunes itself" Rose replied, still snappish. Alex looked over at Mickey.

"Didn't I tell you we'd be better not doing anything?" She asked, suddenly annoyed. Mickey stopped touching the buttons and glanced down to where she sat. "I was trying to tell you, they can track us if we do some things, that's why I was saying we shouldn't try to take off. Blimey, Ricky, do you ever listen?" He looked almost like a chastised child by now, not meeting her eyes and shifting as he stared at the floor.

"Sorry" he mumbled.

"So it's not just the Doctor" Rose concluded, watching the man. "You have this effect on everyone"

"When I want to" She shrugged. "Comes in handy" It was then that she noticed the beeping of the console. She narrowed her eyes at it, patting the Doctor's hand gently before standing up to walk over.

"Maybe it's a distress signal" Mickey suggested.

"Fat lot of good that's gonna do" Rose scoffed.

"Are you gonna be a misery all the time?"

"Yes"

Alex rolled her eyes at the two, looking over the buttons Mickey could possibly have pressed.

"You should look at it from my point of view. Stuck in here with your mum's cooking" Mickey told Rose, who frowned at the thought of her mother.

"Where is she?" She asked suddenly, standing as Mickey shrugged. "I'd better go and give her a hand, it might start raining missiles out there"

"Tell her anything from a tin, that's fine" Mickey called after her as she headed for the door.

"Why don't you tell her yourself?" Rose shot back.

"I'm not that brave"

"Oh, I don't know" Rose replied almost suggestively, stopping at the door. Alex frowned slightly, absolutely no idea what she was going on about, while Mickey grinned. Rose opened the door and stepped out as it closed behind her. She screamed suddenly and it took everything Alex had to not run off to her with Mickey. Maybe if she waited a little longer she could provide a little more distraction before the Doctor woke up. All the same, she moved out of the way as Mickey ran past, knocking the thermos onto the ground and spilling the contents through the grating.

Alex watched as steam rose from the machinery, making sure a good amount surrounded the Doctor. Mickey had closed the door and no doubt the two of them wanted both her and the Doctor protected. She had been quite different to the girl they knew, she had gathered that much. But she was better suited to face danger now than she was even before. She smiled slightly as the Doctor took a deep breath in his sleep, shifting as his mouth opened and a piece of the vortex floated away.

Alex walked over to the door, pausing as she listened to the voices on the other side. She slipped out, managing to be unnoticed as she leaned against the Tardis doors.

"The yellow girl, she has the clever blue box. Therefore she speaks for your planet" A young man beside Harriet translated.

"Excuse me, who has the clever blue box?" Alex spoke up, sounding offended. "Blimey, always being overlooked, me" She must have looked quite a picture, young girl seemingly appearing, calm and collected, wearing pyjamas with her hair all messed up. She was quickly grabbed by one of the Sycorax and scowled as she was shoved in the direction of the others. She straightened the pyjama top, glaring at the one who had shoved her. The Sycorax she assumed to be the leader started talking again.

"You are the owner of-" The young man began translating.

"Yes" Alex nodded before he finished. The humans all looked at her in surprise but Alex ignored them. The leader spoke again.

"Guess I should" She nodded, taking a step closer.

"Alex, they'll kill you" Harriet protested, trying to pull her back. Alex shot her a look and she let go.

"Now, of course, before I try telling you why _not_ to invade Earth, how about you tell me why you should" She started, standing in front of the leader. He spoke again and the Sycorax around them spouted out random words in agreement. "That's no reason" Alex scoffed. "Come on, try again" The leader didn't speak. Alex laughed. "Alright then, proposal time. You leave Earth in peace, I let you leave with your dignity intact, how about that?" The leader laughed. "I mean, how can it look for the leader of a mighty civilisation" She gestured to all the creatures around them. "To lose to someone still in their pyjamas at this time of day?"

The leader rambled off angrily at this and Alex merely raised an eyebrow as she listened. The young man in the background started translating again for the others.

"We are the Sycorax, we stride the darkness. Next to us you are nothing but a wailing child. If you are the best your planet will offer as a champion, then your world will be gutted… and your people enslaved" He faltered as everyone stared at the leader in shock. Alex simply continued watching him.

"Hold on, that's English" The young man pointed out.

"He's talking English" Harriet confirmed.

"You're talking English" Rose repeated.

"I would never touch my dirty tongue with your primitive bile!" The leader shouted, enraged, but also in English.

"That's English" Rose said again, turning to the others. "Can you hear English?" They all nodded.

"Yeah, that's English" Mickey agreed.

"Definitely English" The young man nodded.

"I speak only Sycoraxic!" The leader exclaimed angrily.

"Well you're right about that" Alex agreed, nodding. "But the thing is, you've not been right about everything. You see, this is not my planet, and I am not the best it can offer" She turned with a smug smile, causing the small group of humans to also turn to the Tardis, just in time for the doors to open. There, in all his striped pyjamas and dressing gown glory, was the Doctor. He grinned.

"Did you miss me?"

The Sycorax leader roared in fury, lashing out with his whip at the Doctor, who simply caught the end of it on his arm, throwing it to the floor.

"You could have someone's eye out with that" He scolded. The leader tried once more to attack him using his staff, but the Doctor simply snatched it from his hand and snapped it over his knee. "You just can't get the staff. Now you, just wait, I'm busy" He pointed at the leader threateningly before turning to his friends.

"Mickey! Hello! And Harriet Jones MP for Flydale North! Blimey, it's like 'This Is Your Life'! Tea!" He turned to the girls who were smiling at him. "That's all I needed! Good cup of tea. Superheated fusion of free radicals and tannin, just the thing for healing the synapses. Now" He lowered his voice, seeming serious now and quiet for just the two of them to hear. "First things first, be honest, how do I look?" Rose seemed stunned by his question while Alex just grinned at him.

"Great actually. Nice face" She nodded. He smiled at her, glancing at Rose for her opinion.

"Um… different" She decided on.

"Good different, or bad different?"

"Just… different"

His voice turned deadly serious, as if his next words were a matter of life and death.

"Am. I. Ginger?"

"No, you're just sort of brown" Rose told him, gesturing to her own hair.

"Aww, I always wanted to be ginger, I've never been ginger" He whined, turning to walk a few steps away. He turned back suddenly, pointing violently in Rose's direction. "And you, Rose Tyler, fat lot of good you were, you gave up on us. Oh" He stopped suddenly. "That's rude, is that the sort of man I am now? Am I rude?"

"Kinda rude yeah" Alex confirmed.

"Rude and not ginger" The Doctor seemed to ponder this a moment.

"I'm sorry, who is this?" Harriet spoke up.

"I'm the Doctor" He told her.

"He's the Doctor" Alex and Rose repeated in synch.

"But what happened to my Doctor? Or is it just a title that's passed on?" Harriet asked, watching the man confusedly.

"I'm him, I'm literally him" He told her, stepping closer. "Same man, new face, well, new everything"

"But you can't be" Harriet frowned.

"Harriet Jones" He started, standing right in front of her now. "We were trapped in Downing Street and the one thing that scared you wasn't the aliens, wasn't the war. It was the thought of your mother being on her own"

"Oh my god" Harriet breath out.

"Did you win the election?" The Doctor asked with a grin, crouching slightly to bring his tall self closer to her level. Harried smiled.

"Landslide majority" She answered. He beamed

"Oh fanta…" he paused with a frown. "No, hold on. Fanta…" He continued, turning to wander around in a wide circle as he tried to speak. "Fantas… Fantas… Ah, fa… fa…" He trailed off, simply making sounds now. Alex chuckled softly to herself.

"Ooh, didn't expect this" She muttered to herself. Rose frowned at her.

"What do you mean?" She asked quietly in return. Alex grinned at her, holding back more laughter.

"Deleted scenes" She managed to get out, still holding back more giggled as the Doctor began his complaining.

"No, I can't say it anymore, doesn't fit the teeth" He realized, clicking his new teeth together a moment. "Aw, I like that word. What am I gonna say now? B- b- b- brilliant? Brilliant. Brilliant. Brilliant! No, um, excellent. Oh, that's- that's- that's excellent. Nah. Uh, superb. Uh, marvellous. Uh. M… m… Molto bene, ooh I don't know. Let's just settle for very very good. That's very very good. That's really very very- Oh, no that's not taking off, is it?"

"If I might interrupt" The Sycorax leader spoke up, seeming annoyed at having been forgotten. The group all turned their attention from the Doctor to him.

"Yes! Sorry! Hello, big fella!" He greeted happily, turning to him.

"Who exactly are you?"

"Well that's the question"

"Here it comes" Alex whispered to Rose, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched the Doctor with amusement of what he was about to do.

"I demand to know who you are!" The leader shouted.

"I DON'T KNOW!" The Doctor yelled in response, imitating the same tone. The leader looked taken aback and the group of humans blinked in surprise while Alex simply smiled. "See, there's the thing. I'm the Doctor but beyond that, I just don't know. I literally don't know who I am. It's all untested"

He began pacing around as he spoke, addressing everyone.

"Am I funny? Am I sarcastic?" He looked to Alex. "Sexy?" He winked and she responded with a smile, suddenly finding her bare feet rather interesting. "Right old misery? Life and soul? Right-handed? Left-handed? A gambler? A fighter? A coward? A traitor? A liar? A nervous wreck? I mean, judging by the evidence, I've certainly got a gob" He smiled suddenly, a slightly insane smile. "And how am I going to react when I see this?" He pointed to a rather large red button on a slightly elevated platform. "A Great Big Threatening Button" He pointed out, running up the stairs with a laugh. Alex grinned, the only person to follow him up.

"A Great Big Threatening Button Which Must Not Be Pressed Under Any Curcumstances. You think?" He asked, looking over at Alex as she joined him.

"Seems so" She nodded.

"Let me guess, it's some sort of control matrix, hmm? Hold on, what's feeding it?" He crouched down to open a little door in the front of the machine, raising his eyebrows at the puddle of red in the middle. "And what've we got here? Blood?" He dipped his finger in it and tasted it as he stood. Alex made a disgusted face as he seemed to consider the taste. "Yeah, definitely. Blood. Human blood. A positive. With just a dash of iron. Ahh" He made a face, waggling his tongue around in distaste as he wiped his finger on his dressing gown.

"That's gonna stain" Alex pointed out scoldingly. He glanced at her, seeming about to apologise when he realised what the machine was.

"But that means… blood control! Oh! I haven't seen blood control for years!" He grinned, seeming absolutely delighted. "You're controlling all the A positives!" He stopped then, his face and tone turning serious.

"Which leaves us with a great big stinking problem. 'Cos… I really don't know who I am, I don't know when to stop. But I do know Alex. And if we see a Great Big Threatening Button Which Should Never Ever Be Pressed…" He grinned at Alex and she grinned back. "Well we just wanna do this" The two of them slammed a hand down on the button, earning a horrified chorus of 'no!'s from the small group of humans.

"You killed them!" The young man shouted up at them, horrified as the rest.

"What do you think big fella? Are they dead?" The Doctor asked the Sycorax leader.

"We have allowed them to live" He replied, seeming put out.

"Allow?" The Doctor questioned incredulously. "You've no choice. I mean that's all blood control is. Cheap bit of voodoo. Scares the pants off you, but that's as far as it goes. It's like hypnosis, you can hypnotise someone to walk like a chicken or sing like Elvis but you can't hypnotise them to death. Survival instinct's too strong"

"Blood control was just one form of conquest. I can summon the armada and take this world by force" The Sycorax spat, growling at them.

"Well, yeah, you could, yeah, you could do that" The Doctor nodded. "But why? Look at these people" He gestured at the small group who were watching him, leaning on the barrier near the steps. "These human beings. Consider their potential. From the day they arrive on the planet and blinking step into the sun. There is more to see than can ever be seen. More to do than- No hold on" he paused, thinking for a moment before shaking his head. "Sorry, that's 'The Lion King'. But the point still stands, leave them alone!" He told the creature, standing up straight again.

"Or what?" The leader challenged.

"Or…" The Doctor grabbed a sword from the nearest Sycorax and ran down the steps to stand in the empty space in front of the Tardis. "I challenge you" At this, all the Sycorax burst into laughter. Alex looked around from her spot still up the steps before looking back to the Doctor, who was doing the same. "Oh, that struck a chord. Am I right to assume that the sanctified rules of combat still apply?" The leader moved forward, drawing his sword as he did.

"You stand as this world's champion?" He questioned.

"Thank you, I have no idea who I am but you just summed me up" The Doctor told him in confirmation, shrugging off his dressing gown. He tossed it to Alex just as she was coming down that stairs and she caught it, watching him carefully from the sidelines. "So, you accept my challenge? Or are you just a cranak pel csacree slvak?" The humans all looked confused but Alex's eyes widened and she snorted in amusement as she Sycorax hissed in anger. The two kneeled on the ground with their swords in front of them, watching the other tensely.

"For the planet?" The leader asked.

"For the planet" The Doctor confirmed darkly. They stood and a moment later ran at each other, beginning their fight. The Doctor was thrown aside at some point and the leader laughed as he stumbled into Alex. She steadied him and gave him a nod which he returned before re-joining the fight.

"Look out!" Rose called out suddenly.

"Oh, yeah, that helped. Wouldn't've thought of that otherwise, thanks" The Doctor called back sarcastically. Alex rolled her eyes but a smile made its way onto her face despite the situation. The Doctor seemed to be leading the fight away somewhere towards the side of the ship and Alex realised what he was doing a second before he did it.

"Bit of fresh air?" He asked, whacking his hand down on a button and a door opened in the wall, leading to a relatively flat space outside. The two continued outside and a small group of both humans and Sycorax rushed out to watch from the side. Alex stood beside Rose, handing off the dressing gown without looking. The leader caught the Doctor on the nose and Rose started forward but Alex put an arm out to stop her just as the Doctor was calling out.

"Stay back! Invalidate the challenge and he wins the planet" He told her before going back into the fight. The Doctor was knocked down and then Rose and Mickey had to hold Alex back. The leader slashed downwards and everyone lapsed into shocked silence as the Doctor's sword fell off the edge. He looked up at the creature above him.

"You cut my hand off"

"Ha! Sycorax!" He cried triumphantly.

"And now I know what sort of a man I am" The Doctor started, getting to his feet. "I'm lucky. 'Cos quite by chance, I'm still within fifteen hours of my regeneration cycle. Which means I've got just enough residual cellular energy… to do this" He held up his arm that now ended just below his wrist and, before the eyes of the observers, a whole hand grew back, good as new.

"Witchcraft" The leader accused.

"Time Lord" The Doctor corrected. Rose moved to snatch a sword from one of the Sycorax, turning back to the Time Lord in question.

"Doctor!" She called, getting his attention before tossing him the sword. He caught it by the handle and swished it around a moment, grinning at her.

"Oh, so I'm still the Doctor then?"

"No arguments from me" Rose returned with a grin.

"Wanna know the best bit?" The Doctor asked, turning back to the Sycorax leader. "This new hand" He suddenly donned a Texan accent. "It's a fightin' hand!" He rushed forward and they fought again, swords clashing together loudly. The Doctor got in close and jabbed the Sycorax in the stomach with the handle of his sword. The onlookers winced as the creature groaned in pain. The Doctor managed to do the same twice more before he fell to the ground and the Doctor's sword was at his throat.

"I win" He said simply, his tone dark.

"Then kill me" The leader spoke, his voice strained. The Doctor paused. Alex watched him a moment, her eyes going wide. She didn't remember him doing that in the show. He refused to kill him immediately. He almost looked like he'd considered it a moment. The Doctor's gaze flickered upwards, his eyes landing on hers. Alex was staring at him in disbelief and his expression softened. She shook her head softly and he looked back down.

"I'll spare your life if you take this champion's command" He told him, making Alex breathe a sigh of relief. "Leave this planet, and never return. What do you say?"

"Yes" The leader responded simply.

"Swear on the blood of your species" The Doctor growled, his sword pressing down. Alex watched him, unsure whether to take a step forward or back, so just stood where she was.

"I swear" The leader managed.

"There we are then!" The Doctor smiled cheerily, moving his sword. "Thanks for that! Cheers, big fella!" He stuck his sword into the ground as he walked off.

"Bravo!" Harriet clapped.

"That says it all, bravo!" Rose agreed. The Doctor walked straight up to Alex, looking down at her, his eyes searching hers.

"Are you okay?" He asked softly. Alex paused a moment, frowning slightly.

"Yeah, I'm fine" She responded, unsure why he was asking. He moved to brush some of her hair behind her ear, his fingers brushing her temple lightly. In that split second she saw three images, three moments in time from his mind. Her, backing away and looking terrified, looking at him instead of the Daleks surrounding them. Her, on the ground in the Tardis, her eyes shut tight against the pain of hitting her head. Her, watching him in disbelief only moments earlier. Alex took the Doctor's hand from her head, holding it tightly in her own. "We're good" She told him, nodding. He smiled and she smiled in return.

"Nice fighting hand by the way" She commented, laughing to herself at his antics from earlier.

"Yeah, not bad for a man in his jim-jams" He agreed. Rose passed the dressing gown to Alex who helped the Doctor get it on. "Very Arthur Dent" He continued, beginning to walk off with the girls on either side of him. "Now, there was a nice man. Hold on, what have I got in here?" He pulled his hand from the pocket of the dressing gown, smiling bemusedly at the fruit in his hand as the girls laughed. "A Satsuma. Ah, that friend of your mother's" He shook his head at Rose. "He does like his snacks doesn't he? But doesn't that just sum up Christmas?"

"You go through all those presents, and right at the end, tucked away at the bottom, there's a Satsuma. Silly old Satsuma" Alex joked, making the Doctor grin at her.

"Exactly. Who wants a satsuma?" He agreed. Behind them, the Sycorax leader had gotten to his feet and pulled out the sword the Doctor had left behind. He roared in rage, ready to charge at them. Alex turned just as the Doctor threw the Satsuma, just in time to see the creature fall through an opening hole in the ground. She turned back to see the Doctor was no longer smiling.

"No second chances. I'm that kind of a man" He stated darkly. Alex hesitated before taking his hand slowly. He held hers tightly in return, looking down at her as his expression softened. She gave him a small smile and he managed on in return.

"Fair enough" She told him softly. Because she felt the very same. She always tried to think the best of everyone. But sometimes, people just didn't deserve second chances.


	30. Christmas and Forgiveness

The group stopped in front of the Tardis and the Doctor stood in front, facing the remaining Sycorax with Alex taking up her place beside him, their hands still clasped together, and Rose stood on his other side, farther back.

"By the ancient rites of combat, I forbid you to scavenge here for the rest of time. And when you go back to the stars and tell others of this planet. When you tell them of its riches, its people, its potential. When you talk of the Earth, make sure you tell them this. It is defended"

With that being said, the group were teleported out of the ship along with the Tardis. They looked around a moment as they found themselves on an empty street on Earth.

"Where are we?" Rose asked, looking around for any sign to answer her question.

"We're just off Bloxom Road" Mickey told them joyously. "We're just 'round the corner, we did it!" The Doctor held his hand up, stopping him as he looked upwards.

"Wait a minute… Wait a minute…"

The ship above them started off, flying away and he grinned.

"Go on my son! Oh yeah!" Mickey cheered. Rose jumped up on his back, cheering with him.

"Yeah! Don't come back!"

"It is defended!"

They laughed happily and Rose jumped down back onto her feet to hug Mickey. Alex looked up at the Doctor as he pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arms around her. She returned the hug, smiling happily to herself before her smile faded suddenly. The Doctor didn't notice as they parted and looked over at Harriet, smiling.

"My Doctor" She grinned, raising her arms to him.

"Prime Minister" He returned, accepting the hug. Neither noticed how Alex took a step away and watched the older woman tensely.

"Absolutely the same man" She told him as they pulled away. She looked upwards at the ship as it was still leaving. "Are there many more out there?"

"Oh, not just Sycorax" He told her, following her gaze. "Hundred of species, thousands of them. And the human race is drawing attention to itself. Every day you're sending out probes and messages and signals. This planet's so noisy. You're getting noticed, more and more" He looked at her then. "You'd better get used to it"

"Rose!"

They all looked over to see a rather flustered looking Jackie Tyler running over to her daughter.

"Mum!" Rose cried, meeting her with a hug.

"Oh! Talking of trouble!" The Doctor joked.

"Oh my god! You did it Rose! Oh!" She cried happily. Mickey joined the girls and the Doctor smiled fondly at his friends. Alex stood nearby, glancing over at the young man with Harriet.

"You did it too!" Rose told her mother. "It was the tea! Fixed his head!"

"That was all I needed, cup of tea" The man in question told them.

"I said so!" Jackie reminded them.

"Look at him!" Rose beamed, doing just that.

"Is it him though? Is it really the Doctor?" Jackie asked before her attention was taken by something else. "Oh my god, it's the bleeding Prime Minister!"

"Come here you" The Doctor laughed, holding his arms out to her, who didn't hesitate to hug him. Rose grabbed Alex and the two of them and Mickey joined the group hug. The Doctor noticed Alex and shifted so one of his arms was encircling only her. Alex smiled softly, letting her eyes fall closed. Who knows when the next time she could get this would be, considering what she was about to let happen. When they separated and started chatting happily Alex didn't join in, looking over her shoulder at Harriet, who was watching them with an unreadable expression. The Doctor followed her gaze and gave the older woman a brief smile, which she returned. But it fell as soon as he looked away. The women locked eyes, neither speaking, but both understanding. They both knew what she was about to do.

Harriet said something to the young man beside her and Alex looked away. She felt guilt wash over her. The Doctor still had his arm around her waist. Suddenly, a beam of green light shot out of the ground. Alex pulled the Doctor's arm away. Another shot up, meeting it in the sky. She took a step away, refusing to look up. Another shot into the sky. Alex felt a tear run down her cheek. Another. She finally got the courage to look up, and wished she hadn't. The last beam of light shot out of the ground, meeting the four that were already there and they all joined to hit the moving ship above them.

Alex ran.

She didn't think about what she was doing, or where she was going, or even about the gazes she felt on her back as she went. She just ran. She let this happen. She let what might well be an entire race be destroyed at the hands of Torchwood. She had a reason for it of course, she had thought things like this over a long time ago. A time when she'd sat on her platform in the console room with a leather coated Doctor playing with wires and talking about everything and nothing. She had decided this needed to happen. If it didn't, the whole universe could be at stake.

Alex wasn't sure how long she had run for, or where she had gone. She knew only what she didn't know, and that was where she was. Her breathing was coming in short sharp bursts by now and her face was wet with tears. She stumbled to a stop, looking around at the unfamiliar buildings. She was now surrounded by people, but they payed her no attention. Why would they? A spaceship in the sky just got blown up. She turned on the spot, wondering if her blurring vision was from the tears or lack of oxygen.

"Alex!"

Alex looked around with a gasp, her gaze falling on a worried looking Eleventh Doctor. It didn't matter which one he was, it didn't matter that it'd been hundreds of years for him, she didn't want to face him. Not now. So she turned, and she ran. Another call had her looking to see a much younger Doctor, still in his pyjamas and dressing gown, making his way over to her. Had she had enough clarity, she might've noticed that his expression held no trace of anger, but instead with concern and confusion. As it was, she kept running. She turned onto a clearer street, finding the closest building to run inside. She found the stairs, staring up immediately, hoping he wouldn't think to look somewhere inside.

Alex found herself on the roof, running over to the edge to look down. Her breathing was still uneven and likely depriving her of oxygen along with the running. Her eyes darted around, hoping she'd lost him when she found that she couldn't see any sign of him on the street. But when she turned, there he was. Alex gasped in surprise, pressing her back against the concrete barrier behind her. The Doctor was standing in the middle of the roof, approaching her slowly with his hands held up in a surrender motion.

"Alex, calm down" He pleaded. She moved to one side, attempting to make a clear path back to the stairs but he followed her. "Alex, I don't blame you, I swear" He continued. Alex let out a breathy humourless laugh.

"How can you not?" She scoffed. "I let them die!"

"You didn't do it"

"I let it happen!"

"I am certain you had a very good reason for it" The Doctor spoke calmly. Alex stared as he continued forward, now possibly only several feet away. She darted forward suddenly, hoping to get around him and escape, but he stepped to the side and grabbed her before she managed it. He quickly wrapped his arms tightly around her, pinning her own against her sides even as she tried to fight her way out.

"Alex, I promise you, I do not blame you for what happened" He told her sincerely, calm as ever. Alex stopped moving, trying desperately to get her breathing under control. Seeing she wasn't going to try running again, the Doctor pulled away slowly, attempting to give her space if that was what she wanted. She stared up at him a moment before her legs gave out and he managed to catch her as she fell. He sat on the ground with her held tightly against him as she brought her breathing back under control, neither saying a word. Alex had her arms around his neck by this point, the same as she'd done with his last regeneration. She suddenly felt a pang of loss for the man in the leather jacket she'd burned. She'd never get to tell him she loved him. The Doctor had one arm wrapped around her waist and the other around her shoulder blades to stroke her hair softly, same as he'd always done, reminding her that the man she was grieving for was right there.

"You're not mad?" She whispered eventually.

"Why did you let it happen?" He returned. His tone was as quiet as hers but the question made her stiffen.

"Sometime in the future, the whole universe might be at stake. And part of what happened today is the reason that it lives on" She explained, trying her best to get her point across vaguely.

"Then how could I be mad?"

Alex relaxed at the answer, even if she didn't understand it herself. How could he forgive her? The Doctor shifted slightly and placed a soft kiss on the top of her head. His hand found the back of her head where it had hit the railing what felt like a long time ago.

"Did I hurt you?" He asked quietly, seeming sad. Alex looked up at him.

"I'm fine" She told him simply, smiling as she thought of something. "I've got a Doctor to look after me" He smiled in return and the two remained silent for a while, staring at each other unashamedly.

"You opened it, didn't you?" The Doctor asked eventually. She nodded. "And?"

"I remember everything" She told him. He looked away. Alex frowned at him slightly, placing a hand to the side of his face to make him look down at her. She gave him a sad smile and he returned it. "It's over?"

"It's over" He nodded. "So, would you like me to call you-"

"Alex is fine" She interrupted. "I don't deserve that name any more" The Doctor wrapped his arms around her again, pulling her closer, and she knew he understood completely how she felt. He had done the same, refusing to let anyone or even himself call him the Doctor during the war. They sat there quietly for a bit longer, looking over the edge of the roof and watching the people running about until the streets cleared.

"We should go" Alex told the Doctor, standing. She brushed off the pyjamas she was still wearing and grinned down at the Doctor, who was still wearing his. "They might start to worry" He nodded, getting to his feet and taking her hands in his.

"Are you okay?" He asked softly. Alex smiled.

"Yeah, better now"

"Good"

The Doctor was looking at her again, that look that he didn't use on anyone else. It was the same expression she'd seen his last face use at her, the way he'd been looking at her since they were kids, in the academy together. It was strange, and Alex wasn't entirely sure how to feel about it. He gave her a smile and led her off the roof, back down the stairs and all the way through the streets back to the Tardis. He told her she could go ahead into the wardrobe and start looking for whatever she wanted to wear and he'd call the Tyler flat and tell them they'd be over later. Alex did as he said, simply browsing around the racks of clothes while she waited for him to show up.

Now she had a whole other set of memories, she knew the story behind almost everything in there. There were some that he must have gotten in the time she was gone, and some she knew he had before she set off to travel with him the first time, and quite a lot of the pieces of clothing were hers. By the time the Doctor showed up she had wrapped a very familiar long colourful scarf around her neck, had a nice black beret on her head and was trying on a long brown coat with blue lining that was dragging on the floor and pooling around her feet.

"Having fun?" Came the amused voice. Alex turned, grinning.

"Yes" She giggled. The Doctor laughed, joining her to look over the clothes.

"What do you think for this one?" he asked, browsing as he spoke.

"I think brown will do nicely" She told him, leaning on the end of the rack. He nodded, moving off to another part of the wardrobe as Alex followed behind him. She got distracted however by a line of clothes obviously set up for her by the Tardis. Alex shook her head with a smile, mentally thanking the ship as she moved through the line of different colored jeans, flannel shirts, tank tops and T-shirts. She ended up with a pair of dark blue jeans and a black and white flannel. Just as she had grabbed the shirt off the rack she felt the brown coat she was still wearing being pulled off her. She turned with a bemused smile to find the Doctor rushing off excitedly with the coat in his arms along with something she couldn't quite see.

After changing she wandered out to where the Doctor was looking over his new face in a mirror. She finished buttoning her shirt and started her attempts with a very special something she had found lying around.

"Hey Doctor? Do you know how to tie a bow tie?" She asked, her eyes fixed on the material as she walked up behind him. He turned, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Really?" He asked. But he didn't seem to put off by it, more like surprised.

"Yeah, bow ties are cool" She told him, looking up helplessly. "Do you mind?" He laughed, stepping forward to undo the knotted mess she had created before re-tying it carefully. Alex watched his face as he worked. She was quite amused to notice he was using his serious/concentrated face. It was then that she realized exactly how close they were standing. He glanced up as he finished, giving her a smile and she hoped to god he didn't notice her blush. He took a step back, looking over all of what she was wearing with an almost fond smile.

"It actually works" he told her, laughing. She laughed in return, looking down at herself.

"I like it" She agreed, fixing her bow tie the way she'd seen Eleven do countless times. "Just one more thing" She turned and ran off down the steps to another floor of the wardrobe, snatching up the navy blue coat she'd found earlier, perfectly matching the color of her bow tie. It had a rather modest collar and reached down to her knees. The Doctor followed her at a slower pace, joining her as she was spinning, making the coat fly out slightly. She grinned at him.

"Always liked longer coats" She told him, giving another twirl. "You look great by the way"

"So do you" He smiled. "Oh" He said suddenly, searching his pockets as if he'd forgotten something. "I found…" He pulled something out of his pockets, handing her something that was now so very familiar to her. Alex's mouth fell open in shock as she stared. He waved them a bit, prompting her to take them. "Merry Christmas" He said simply, still smiling, proud of himself. Alex looked down at them a moment longer before meeting his eyes.

"You kept them" She pointed out, sounding close to tears.

"How could I not?" He shrugged slightly, like it was no big deal. Alex jumped on him suddenly in a hug, almost toppling him over. He grunted in surprise before smiling into her shoulder and returning the hug. "I take it you like the gift?"

"Are you kidding? I love it!" She assured him. She didn't let go for another moment but when she did her gaze was right back on the objects in her hands. She held an old worn leather journal and a battered dark blue pen. She tucked the journal under her arm to inspect the pen a moment. "But it broke. The Council wasn't very nice with my things when…" The Doctor took the pen gently, twisting it until a blue light tip pushed out the top. He pressed a button on the side, pointing it at the ceiling as a buzzing sound filled the air and the light above them went out, leaving them in a dark spot. Alex's eyes widened. "You…?"

"I found it. And I fixed it" He agreed, handing it back. Alex looked over the familiar object with a smile.

"Who looks at a pen and thinks 'ooh, this could be a little more sonic'?" She muttered to herself. The Doctor let out a laugh, happy to see her laughing in return. She looked over her journal once more with a soft frown before opening it cautiously. She looked over the blank pages before twisting her pen back until the sonic tip disappeared and the pen tip poked out the end. There was another moment of hesitation before she scrawled out a quick 'hello'. There was a moment where nothing happened. Then all of a sudden the ink soaked into the paper and below it in beautifully neat handwriting came another 'hello'. Alex gasped lightly looking down at the paper as the writing stayed a moment before disappearing again.

"It still works" She pointed out excitedly, looking up at her friend. Without warning she hugged him tightly again. "Thank you Theta" She whispered. He smiled, incredibly glad to hear that name again. She'd been the only one to use it since he became the Doctor, but they never told anyone else if they could help it. Their academy names were just between them now.

"You're very welcome, Lonnie" He grinned. She laughed.

"Come on then" She was the first to pull away, looking him over again before nodding. "They'll be waiting"

He held out a hand and she took it as they headed back out to the console room. The Tardis gave the two an appreciative hum at the new clothes as they left and the Doctor smiled at Alex's excited response to her. It wasn't much longer until they were walking into the Tyler flat side-by-side. Rose was the first to look up and smile at the two, grinning at the sight. Christmas dinner was something Alex hadn't much done in her human life, something that surprised them all when she told them. In her house they spent Christmas day opening presents and then using whatever toys or technology they'd gotten or watching movies together. They never did the Christmas turkey, they had waffles for breakfast. And of course, Alex sat down to watch the Doctor Who Christmas special. Alone.

Jackie seemed to make it her mission that Alex enjoyed herself since she found out, but she didn't really have to in the end. The Doctor sat at one end of the dining table with Alex and Rose on either side of him, Jackie on Alex's other side and Mickey on Rose's. They chatted and ate happily and Alex and the Doctor both had the same childish excitement when Jackie brought out the Christmas crackers. They did one together that ended in the Doctor winning a red paper crown from his end. Rose won a pink one from him and he picked up a third just after, insisting that Alex should get one. She very nearly fell out of her chair when the cracker burst open, and was laughing when the Doctor handed her his side, from which she pulled out a blue paper crown.

"Doctor! It matches!" She exclaimed happily, holding the colored paper against her coat before placing it over her head.

"Well that was rather lucky wasn't it?" He laughed. She simply stuck her tongue out at him in response.

"Look, it's Harriet Jones" Rose pointed out suddenly, shifting everyone's attention to the TV. The Doctor stood, pulling out his glasses as he stepped closer. Alex pulled out her own matching glasses, placing them on as she turned in her seat, resting her head on her arms crossed over the back of the chair.

"Is it true you're unfit for office?" Someone was asking Harriet.

"Look, there is nothing wrong with my health. I don't know where these stories are coming from" She responded, sounding like she'd already said it a hundred times. "And a vote of no confidence… is completely unjustified"

"Don't you think she looks tired?" Alex asked innocently. The Doctor started laughing and Alex followed soon after, leaving Rose and Mickey to send the two weird looks as Jackie went off to answer the phone that had started ringing.

"It's Beth. She says go and look outside" Jackie told them a moment later.

"Why?" Rose asked, frowning at her. The Doctor turned back to the others, taking his glasses off. He noticed Alex's a moment later and laughed, making her grin.

"I dunno, just go outside and look. Come on, shift!" Jackie prompted them. They all got up and wandered over to the door. Alex felt the Doctor take her hand as she was walking out the door and shot him a smile as she tucked her glasses back in her pocket. They all made their way down into the courtyard in front of the building, looking around in awe with everyone else already outside. It appeared to be snowing, with what looked like a meteor shower going on overhead.

"Oh, that's beautiful. What are they, meteors?" Rose asked. Alex shook her head, none of her usual wonder for the stars or snow present.

"It's the spaceship breaking up in the atmosphere" The Doctor answered in her silence. "This isn't snow, it's ash" Alex turned her gaze to her converse, studying the slightly dirtied white tops over the deep blue.

"Okay, not so beautiful" Rose corrected.

"This is a brand new planet Earth. No denying the existence of aliens now, everyone saw it. Everything's new" The Doctor explained. Alex felt his hand squeeze hers and looked up at him. He gave her a reassuring smile and she responded by dropping her head on his shoulder, tilted in a way so she could still see the sky and what looked like shooting stars.

"And what about you, what are you gonna do next?" Rose asked tentatively.

"Well… Back to the Tardis… Same old life" The Doctor responded evenly. Alex got the impression he might've shrugged if it wouldn't disturb her.

"On… On your own?" Rose continued.

"Why, don't you wanna come?" The Doctor asked, seeming surprised.

"Well, yeah"

"Do you though?" He pressed. Alex smiled lightly. He didn't want to take her along unless he knew she really wanted to. It was adorable.

"Yeah" Rose said again, stronger this time.

"I just thought… 'cos I changed" He mumbled slightly. Alex made a face, lifting her head and smacking him lightly on the shoulder

"We don't like you for your face, idiot" She scolded jokingly.

"Yeah I- I thought 'cos you changed you might not want me anymore" Rose told them, glancing between the two.

"Oh, I'd love you to come!" The Doctor told her sincerely.

"Always, Rosie" Alex grinned at the girl.

"Okay!" She beamed at the two.

"You're never gonna stay are you?" Mickey asked from behind them. The three turned to him. He was looking at the ground but met their eyes after a moment.

"There's just so much out there. So much to see… I've got to" Rose explained, trying to make him understand. Mickey gave her a smile, understanding although it was obviously forced.

"Yeah"

"Well I think you're mad" Jackie spoke up. "The lot of you, it's like you go looking for trouble"

"Well that's half the fun, ain't it?" Alex asked with a grin.

"Trouble's just the bits in between" The Doctor corrected, letting go of Alex's hand to walk around behind the other woman. He put an arm around her, looking back up at the sky. "It's all waiting out there, Jackie. It's all brand new to me. All those planets, creatures, horizons. I haven't seen them yet! Not with these eyes" He moved to stand between his companions, smiling at each of them. "And it is gonna be… Fantastic" The girls smiled back at him and he held out a hand to each of them. Alex took it without hesitation while Rose smiled almost uncomfortable down at the one offered to her.

"That hand of yours, still gives me the creeps" She told him. He simply smiled and wiggled his fingers persistently until she took his hand. Alex shivered slightly at the cold and took a step closer to the Doctor as they all looked up.

"So, where're we gonna go first?" Rose asked, seeming excited to go. Alex didn't blame her of course, she was too.

"Um… that way" The Doctor told her, pointing at something in the sky. "No, hold on… that way" He shifted his point slightly.

"T-that way?" Alex asked, almost nervous to speak up on a moment she knew was a big thing between him and Rose in the show.

"You think?" He asked, looking down at her. Alex found herself looking at him instead of the sky.

"Yeah, that way sounds good" She told him, nodding. They smiled at each other before looking back upwards. Rose smiled fondly at the two, following their gaze to the sky.

 _Maybe soon…_ She thought.

* * *

 **so Rose totally ships them and that's okay because I do too. Had to put a dose of angst in there, sorry not sorry. :)**


	31. New New Pair

**Guess who's back.. back again... ME. Anyway, this chapter is like one of the longest I've posted on here... whoops... Anyway, enjoy, allons-y!**

* * *

The Doctor had just gotten inside and tossed his coat on one of the coral supports when Alex rushed in, closing the door behind her. She let out a heavy breath before slipping her coat off and tossing it on top of his.

"Finally escape?" He asked, grinning cheekily at her.

"Shut up, idiot" She snapped, trying to hide her smile. He laughed. "You honestly have no idea" She continued, walking up to stand beside him. "Jackie Tyler is the mother of all mothers. I'd understand her doing this to me if I was around when Rose went travelling, but we're gone and there at the same time. Isn't one enough for her?"

"She likes you" The Doctor shrugged. "More than I can say"

"Well she likes this you" Alex corrected. He gave a small shrug that Alex took as him agreeing. He pulled a lever and the rotor started moving, making the two grin proudly at the machine. Alex moved to the other side of the console, flicking a couple smaller switches ready to take off. The door opened and swung shut and they looked up to see Rose standing in the doorway, smiling at them. They both grinned in return, starting up the Tardis and taking off now that their last passenger was on board.

Rose began to help them along, knowing some of the controls from each of them. Of course, with a whole new set of memories, Alex now knew how to operate everything on the Tardis. Along with the fact that she had, in fact, passed her flying test.

"Where are we going?" Rose asked, looking between the two.

"Further than we've ever gone before" They answered together. They glanced over the console at each other, meeting the other's gaze with a smile before going back to flying. With the three of them all working it was a rather smooth ride and they landed rather soon. Alex ran straight from the console to grab her coat, slipping it on and rushing outside before the Doctor had even reached his. Rose followed her soon after and the Doctor after her, his coat back on.

"It's the year five billion and twenty three" Alex told Rose.

"We're in the galaxy M87" The Doctor continued. "And this"

"This is new Earth" They finished together, grinning at the girl who stared around her in awe. Alex looked around herself, smiling at the hover cars zooming by over the grass covered hill.

"That's just… that's…" Rose burst out laughing suddenly, not finishing her sentence.

"Not bad. Not bad at all" The Doctor finished for her, nodding.

"I'd say more 'bloody brilliant'" Alex corrected.

"That's amazing" Rose spoke up again. "I'll never get used to this. Never. Different ground beneath my feet" She jumped up and down a couple times, looking around again. "Different sky… What's that smell?" The Doctor reached down and pulled out a couple blades of grass, showing them to her.

"Apple grass" He told her.

"Apple grass!"

"Yeah, yeah"

"That's beautiful!"

Alex nodded in agreement, pulling up a couple blades of grass herself, sniffing them before popping them in her mouth. Rose and the Doctor made disgusted faces at her and she copied a moment later, pulling the pieces of grass from her mouth.

"Well, doesn't taste like apples" She declared, flicking the pieces away as she tried to get rid of the taste.

"Never… actually thought to try that" The Doctor admitted. Alex simply shrugged.

"So, did the humans make it or…?"

"No, it was already here, humans aren't that creative" The Doctor shook his head. Alex snorted in amusement, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, I love this. Can I just say" Rose linked their arms with hers, grinning at them both. "Travelling with you. I love it"

"Ditto" Alex grinned in return.

"Me too" The Doctor agreed. "Come on!" He said suddenly, pulling Rose along as he grabbed Alex's hand on the way. The three of them ran off down the hill, laughing as they went. They stopped a bit lower and the Doctor took off his coat, laying it down and plopping himself down on one side of it. Alex frowned slightly.

"Is there enough room for three on that?" She asked incredulously. The Doctor glanced at the empty space beside him before looking back up at her.

"We'll manage, come on" He grabbed her hand and pulled her down beside him, making her squeak in surprise. He then pulled her right against his side so there was room enough left for Rose. Alex laughed, lying down flat on her back beside him as he sat up slightly on his elbows. Rose sat on her other side, leaning back on her hands. The other two watched the city and the cars while Alex watched the sky and the Doctor told them about the planet they were on.

"So, the year five billion, the sun expands, the planet gets roasted"

"That was your first date" Rose teased the two. Alex laughed and glanced over at the Doctor who was grinning at her.

"We had chips" He remembered.

"Chips are good" She nodded. Unknown to the two, Rose looked between them and mentally patted herself on the back, if purely for the fact that neither of them denied it.

"So anyway, planet gone, all rocks and dust, but the human race lives on, all spread out amongst the stars" The Doctor continued.

"Of course, planet blows up, being humans they get all nostalgic" Alex added in.

"Big revival moment, but then they find this place!"

The two sat up for a better look at the landscape.

"Same size as Earth, same air, same orbit, really a wonderful find" Alex elaborated.

"Call goes out, humans move in" The Doctor finished, sharing a smile with Alex as she leaned against him.

"What's the city called?" Rose asked out of curiosity.

"New New York" The Doctor told her.

"Oh, come on" She scoffed, not believing them at all.

"It is! It's the city of New New York!" He insisted.

"Well, technically it's the fifteenth New York from the original" Alex pointed out. "So it's actually New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York" Rose stared at the two a moment and they both seemed to notice at once.

"What?" They asked together, both a mix of confused and worried.

"You're both so different" She told them, still watching them. They grinned at each other before looking back at her.

"New New Doctor"

"New New Alex"

Rose laughed and the other two joined in a moment later.

"Can we go and visit New New York?" Rose asked, getting to her feet. "So good they named it twice?" Alex grinned in amusement as she stood.

"Well, I thought we might go there first" The Doctor corrected, nodding at another building on one of the hills.

"A hospital?" Alex frowned, turning to him. She snorted in amusement when she realised he couldn't get his coat on because of the wind, helping him pull it on.

"Green moon on the side, that's the universal symbol for hospitals" The Doctor elaborated for Rose "I got this" He pulled out the psychic paper, flipping it open to show them. "A message on the psychic paper" The message scrawled itself across the paper as they watched. _Ward 26. Please come._ "Someone wants to see me" He tucked the paper back in his pocket.

"And I thought we were just sightseeing" Rose commented, but not sounding too put out. "Come on then! Let's go and buy some grapes" The Doctor took Alex's hand and Rose followed as they started down the hill towards the hospital. Alex became quieter after a moment, not even paying much attention to what the other two were talking about. She had tried to stop the memories from coming back when they did, but she couldn't keep them away. Everything that she knew must have been so long ago but felt like just yesterday. The memories she didn't have a few days ago. The Doctor seemed to have completely forgiven her for what happened in the war, but how could she? The last day of the Time War, the day he finished what she had started. The day she-

"Alex? You alright?" The Doctor's voice pulled her from her thoughts and her gaze snapped to his, her eyes wide.

"What? Oh, yeah, fine" She stumbled slightly, shaking her head. "I'm fine" He frowned

"Alex, if you're not up to this today, we could-"

"No, I'm fine. Someone needs to see you" She told him. "I'll be completely fine" The Doctor nodded, although he still seemed unconvinced.

"Mind you, we're going to a hospital right now. Don't like hospitals" He told the two, making a face as they reached the doors.

"Bit rich coming from you" Rose scoffed. They walked in to the large blindingly white reception room, glancing around as the Doctor made a displeased face and Alex made a similar one at the lack of color.

"I can't help it! I just don't like hospitals, they give me the creeps" The Doctor protested. Alex shook her head, glancing around. There was an announcement over the speakers and the three fell quiet for the moment until it stopped.

"Dunno why, I always liked them" Alex told them before correcting herself. "Not the emergency room, that part's rubbish. Not the white either, hate the white. More like early 21st century ones. With carpet. Something about the quietness of the empty halls I think"

"Understandable" The Doctor nodded.

"Very smart" Rose commented, looking around. "Not exactly NHS"

"No shop, I like the little shop!" The Doctor complained. Alex glanced around with a frown to find there was, in fact, no little shop.

"Rubbish" She muttered, standing on her toes as she looked around once more, as if it would help.

"I thought this far in the future they'd have cured everything" Rose commented, her confusion clear.

"The human race goes on, but so do the viruses" The Doctor told her. "It's an ongoing war" A human sized cat nurse walked past them, nodding politely at the trio. Alex nodded in reply and the Doctor smiled at her but Rose just stared as she passed.

"They're cats" Rose said simply, pointing after her.

"Well, don't stare" Alex admonished.

"Think what you look like to them all… pink and yellow" The Doctor pointed out. He suddenly pointed over Alex's shoulder. "That's where I'd put the shop! Right there!" Alex looked over the empty wall he was referring to, following him as he wandered over to the lifts. They walked in as the Doctor spoke where they wanted to go.

"Hold on! Hold on!" Rose called, rushing over as she'd realised they were gone. Alex tried to take a step forward, frowning as the doors closed quickly. The Doctor pulled her back, giving her a look for almost stepping between the closing doors.

"Too late, we're going up" He called through the doors.

"It's alright, there's another lift" Rose's voice came back.

"Ward 26, and watch out for the disinfectant"

"Watch out for the what?"

"The disinfectant"

"The what?"

"The di- Oh, you'll find out"

Alex shot him an amused look before water turned on suddenly, showing down on the two. The Doctor didn't seem to mind at all but Alex squeaked in surprise. She laughed however when he started ruffling his wet hair like he was having a shower. It stopped after a bit and the two were suddenly covered in a puff of white powder. Alex huffed and blew it away from her mouth as much as she could, missing the Doctor watching her amusedly. Something akin to a blow dryer started up last, dying the two off with warm air.

Alex smiled, actually finding it quite pleasant and one glance told her the Doctor thought the same. He held his coat open to let it dry properly and Alex copied him a moment before turning her attention to her hair. She was satisfied with the results by the time the air stopped and the lift doors opened. The Doctor took her hand as he stepped out and she followed without complaint. It wasn't long before they were found by one of the nurses and led into the ward.

"Nice place" The Doctor told her, Alex nodding in agreement. "No shop downstairs, I'd have a shop. Not a big one… just a shop, so people can shop" Alex shook her head with an amused smile having to bite her lip to keep from laughing at the surprised look on the nurse's face.

"The hospital is a place of healing" The nurse told him, almost seeming offended.

"A shop does some people the world of good" The Doctor argued. "Not me… other people"

"Jackie Tyler for instance" Alex suggested.

"Yeah, there you go" The Doctor nodded, grinning at her. Alex couldn't help but grin in response.

"The Sisters of Plenitude take a lifelong vow to help, and to mend" The nurse told them, handling the two strange people quite well in Alex's opinion. That was one of the reasons she like a lot of the side characters and companions on the show, the way they managed to deal with the Doctor. Clara for instance, was one of her favourites. Then again, there weren't two of them on the show.

"Excuse me" Someone snapped annoyedly, catching Alex's attention as a very prim looking woman scowled at the Doctor. "Members of the public may only gaze upon the Duke of Manhattan with written permission from the senate of New New York" She recited, glaring at the two. Alex stepped forward with a scowl of her own at the woman's tone.

"That's petrifold regression, right?" The Doctor asked slowly, drawing Alex's attention to the rather large man lying in bed, who looked to be half stone. She blinked in surprise, suddenly guilty that she could be angry enough with this woman to not notice the dying man.

"I'm dying, sir" The man spoke weakly, confirming her thoughts. "A lifetime of charity and abstinence and it ends like this"

"I'm sorry" Alex spoke softly, regarding him sadly.

"Not your fault dear" The Duke told her in return.

"Any statements made by the Duke of Manhattan may not be made public without official clearance" The woman spoke up again. The Duke called her back over and she almost yelled about privacy to the nurse beside them before she led the two away.

"He'll be up and about in no time" The nurse assured them.

"I wouldn't think so" Alex frowned, glancing at the Doctor for confirmation.

"That's petrifold regression, he's turning to stone" he agreed. "There won't be a cure for… oh… another thousand years? He might be up and about but only as a statue"

"Have faith in the sisterhood" Was the nurse's only answer. Alex went back to glancing around the room, pausing as she recognised the very person who must've called them here. "But is there no one here you recognise? It's rather unusual to visit without knowing the patient"

"No, I- I think we found him" Alex told her, her hand moving of its own accord to tap the Doctor's arm incessantly for a moment. He looked down at her and followed her gaze, his mouth falling open slightly in shock. Alex grabbed his sleeve and tugged him over with her to the corner where the face of Boe was sat in his glass jar

"Novice Hame, If I can leave this couple in your care?" The nurse currently with them asked the younger nurse politely.

"Oh, I think our friend got lost. Uh… Rose Tyler. Could you ask at reception?" The Doctor asked as she was leaving.

"Certainly, Sir" She nodded, continuing on her way.

"I'm afraid the Face of Boe's asleep" Novice Hame told them. "That's all he tends to do these days. Are you two friends or…?" The Doctor glanced down at Alex as she settled herself cross-legged on the floor in front of the Face of Boe, placing a hand gingerly on the glass.

"We met just the once on Platform One" The Doctor told her, still watching Alex. "What's wrong with him?"

"I'm so sorry" Novice Hame told them, seeming honestly apologetic about it. "I thought you knew. The face of Boe is dying" The Doctor's gaze on Alex suddenly became worried. It was obvious she knew him better than he'd thought at first. Either he was important in his future, someone she knew from that show of hers, or he was someone she'd met before in her newly restored memories.

"Of what?" He asked, still wary of any response from Alex.

"Old age. The one thing we can't cure. He's thousands of years old. Some people say millions, although that's impossible"

"Oh, no" The Doctor smiled, crouching down beside Alex. "I like impossible. I'm here. I look a bit different, but it's me… It's the Doctor…" He placed a hand on the glass beside Alex's and the Face of Boe let out a sigh. He didn't miss the way Alex smiled, like she was looking at an old friend she had missed dearly. He excused himself a minute later to leave her with her friend. Alex smiled once he was gone.

"He doesn't know" She spoke softly. "Doesn't know who you are. This one's already met young you, last time he hadn't, but it'll be a while yet before he connects the dots" The Face of Boe smiled softly. There was another moment or two until the Doctor returned, holding a small futuristic looking paper cup down into her line of sight. She gave him a smile of thanks as she accepted it, taking a sip as he handed another one to Novice Hame.

"That's very kind, but there's no need" She told him, taking his offering nonetheless.

"You're the one working" He pointed out, moving to look out the large window.

"There's not much to do" She shrugged. "Just maintain his smoke. And I suppose I'm company. I can hear him singing sometimes. In my mind, such ancient songs"

"Are we the only visitors?" The Doctor asked, Alex leaning forward with her elbows on her knees as she was interested to know too.

"The last of Boe-kind became extinct, long ago" Novice Hame old them in answer. "He's the only one left. Legend says the Face of Boe watched the universe grow old" Alex and the Doctor smiled at the thought. "There's all sorts of superstitions around him. One story says that just before his death, the Face of Boe will impart his greatest secret. That he will speak those words only to a pair like himself"

Alex looked up, frowning slightly. She didn't remember much of this episode, sure. It wasn't one of her favourites. But the Face of Boe's secret was much more than a detail in one episode. And she knew for certain he was to tell only the Doctor. What could she mean, a pair? It couldn't be…

"What does that mean?" The Doctor asked curiously.

"It's just a story" Novice Hame brushed off.

"Tell us the rest" Alex requested.

"It's said he'll talk to two wanderers. The ones without a home. The Lonely God and his Angel"

The Doctor's gaze snapped to Alex and she looked back at him, neither saying a word.

* * *

Alex watched as the Doctor borrowed her phone to call Rose, frowning slightly at the little she could hear from the other end. Something clicked in her mind and she turned away from the Doctor as her expression fell into an 'oh' of realization. But it was likely she couldn't do anything about it at the moment, so she simply waited for him to finish on the phone. She frowned again when her gaze fell on the Duke of Manhattan, now completely free of stone and laughing with a champagne glass in hand. She took a step back to stand beside the Doctor.

"Doctor…" She called slowly. He waved her off, muttering about interrupting him while he was on the phone. Alex huffed, shooting another glance at the Duke before starting to tug at the Doctor's sleeve like an impatient child. He glanced at her, shooting her a look until she gestured to what she was looking at and his face fell slack in shock.

"I'd better go, see you in a minute" He spoke into the phone, hanging up before handing it back to Alex as he walked past her. She pocketed her phone and followed him along to the Duke's bed, standing behind him shyly as she glanced over the small crowd of people.

"It's those two again!" The Duke cried happily, seeing them. Alex gave a small smile to mirror the Doctor's as he scratched absent-mindedly at his ear. "They're my good luck charms! Come in! Don't be shy!" The last bit seemed directed at Alex as she still stood behind the Doctor slightly.

"Any friendship expressed by the Duke of Manhattan does not constitute a form of legal contract" The woman beside him reminded them. The Doctor nodded and Alex copied the action, not being too annoyed now as the woman was more clearly simply doing her job, even smiling as she held her own glass of champagne. She pressed a button on a small remote to make the Duke's bed sit upright as he told her to.

"Ah! Look at me! No sign of infection!" The Duke proclaimed happily.

"Champagne Sir, Miss?" A man spoke up, offering a tray with a couple glasses. The Doctor politely declined even as Alex took one with a smile and an enthusiastic 'thank you'. She took a sip of her glass, silently judging the taste to herself as she listened to the Doctor speak, standing beside him now that he had all the attention.

"Uh, you had petrifold regression right?"

"'Had' being the operative word" The Duke agreed happily. "Past tense. Completely cured"

"But that's impossible" The Doctor frowned slightly.

"Primitive species would accuse us of magic. But it's really the tender application of science" One of the cats spoke up, smiling.

"How on Earth did you cure him?" The Doctor asked in disbelief.

"How on New Earth, you might say" She corrected. Alex snorted in amusement, hiding her smile behind her glass as the Doctor glanced at her.

"What's in that solution?" He asked, nodding to the drip that was still hooked up beside the bed.

"A simply remedy" The cat-woman told him elusively.

"Then tell me what it is" He challenged.

"I'm sorry, patient confidentiality. I don't believe we've met. My name is Matron Casp" She told them, giving them a soft smile as if she wasn't avoiding their questions.

"I'm the Doctor. This is A-"

"I'm Alex" Alex cut him off. Partially for the fact that she could very well introduce herself thank you very much, and also part because she almost didn't trust him not to say the wrong name. The one he was used to.

"I think you'll find that we're the doctors here" Matron Casp replied, looking to the Doctor.

"Matron Casp, you're needed in intensive care" One of the nurses told her, glancing at the other two.

"If you would excuse me" Matron Casp told them politely, leaving with the other nurse as they spoke to each other quietly. Alex and the Doctor exchanged a glance.

"Worth a look 'round?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well worth a look 'round" She agreed. The two pulled out their glasses and slipped them on in synch, moving to look over the medicines being given to people whose illnesses should have killed them already.

It was a bit later when Alex had decided to go and sit by the Face of Boe once more and Doctor was still looking around when Rose stepped into the ward. Although, Alex noticed right away, it didn't seem to be Rose. Her jacket was unzipped halfway down and her top was showing decidedly more than before. She was walking differently and the smile she gave when the Doctor looked up was all wrong. Alex frowned from her spot across the room. This was all so wrong. She felt like an obsessive child complaining about an actor playing a character wrong. That was, of course, because Cassandra wasn't much of an actress.

The Doctor waved her over after showing 'Rose' some of the patients who'd been healed miraculously. Alex gave the Face of Boe one last glance, but he was still sleeping, so she stood and wandered over to the Doctor, following behind the two as they wandered out of the room.

"Because if they've got the best medicine in the world… why is it such a secret?" The Doctor was asking.

"I can't Adam and Eve it" 'Rose' spoke slowly. It took all Alex had to not glare at her. The voice was way wrong. It's like Cassandra wasn't even trying.

"What's… What's with the voice?" The Doctor asked, looking at her confused. Alex rolled her eyes when she knew neither of them would be able to see. Seriously, _men_.

"Oh, I don't know, just… larking about. New Earth, new me" Cassandra spoke slowly.

"Well I can talk, New New Doctor" The Doctor grinned.

"Mm, aren't you just?"

And before Alex could even remember what was going to happen next, it happened. Cassandra grabbed the Doctor and pulled him down for a long kiss, her hands moving through his hair as she did. The Doctor froze in shock. Alex's mouth fell open in shock as she stared, unable to think let alone do anything to stop her. It was a good ten seconds before she pulled away, staring at him.

"T- terminal's this way" She told him breathlessly, not even looking at Alex as she walked off. The Doctor looked over at Alex with wide eyes.

"I- I didn't…"

"You'd better bloody fix Rose" She said lowly, not giving away her anger to the best of her ability. She knew it wasn't his fault anyway, she was angry at Cassandra.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I will" The Doctor nodded quickly. Alex gave one more short nod, waving her hand in the direction Cassandra had left and watching him go before following. He smoothed his hair quickly as he walked, glancing at Alex every moment or so.

"Nope, nothing odd" The Doctor told them, looking over the information the terminal was giving him. "Surgery, post-op, nanodentistry, no sign of a shop, they should have a shop"

"Worry about the damn shop later" Alex snapped, getting impatient to fix Rose. She didn't like the way Cassandra kept looking at her. She was almost glaring everytime she thought no one was looking and it was more annoying than anything.

"Right. Sorry" The Doctor apologised quickly.

"One of the nurses came around to get the Matron, something about intensive care. Where is it?" Alex asked hintingly. One of the things she remembered. Something about intensive care. She wasn't sure what, but there was something.

"You're right" The Doctor noticed, going back to work. "Well done" Even with Cassandra still scowling at her back and a cat nurse conspiracy going on, Alex smiled.

"Why would they hide a whole department?" Cassandra asked as the Doctor was pulling out the sonic screwdriver. "It's gotta be there somewhere, search the sub-frame"

"What if the sub-frame's locked?" The Doctor asked, glancing up at her. Alex knew the answer of course, but she also knew what he was doing, so she kept quiet.

"Try the installation protocol" Cassandra responded without a pause.

"Yeah, 'course" The Doctor nodded, scanning the screen with the sonic. "Sorry, hold on" He turned the screwdriver off and the whole wall slid downwards, revealing a hidden passage. Alex made a face at it as Cassandra walked right in. The Doctor glanced back at her, offering a hand when he saw she wasn't moving. She took his hand, following him in slowly.

"I don't like this, it's like Scooby-Doo, you just know someone's gonna pop out any second" She told him quietly. He smiled softly but didn't answer as they continued in.

"Intensive care, certainly looks intensive" He commented as they stepped out into the open room. They were on what looked like some kind of catwalk in an extremely large room. There was a long row of green pods down one side and a metal barrier of the other. On the other side of the room there was the same and it continued that way up and down as far as they could see. Thousands upon thousands of pods. Alex gasped softly and the Doctor's grip on her hand tightened slightly. He glanced back at her, checking that she was okay and she nodded.

He moved to one of the pods, dropping her hand to open it with the sonic. Inside was a clearly sick-looking man covered in boils and sores. Alex gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.

"That's disgusting" Cassandra made a face. "What's wrong with him?"

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" The Doctor whispered softly, horrified. He closed the door gently before opening another right beside it.

"What disease is that?" Cassandra asked, looking at the woman inside with disgust.

"All of them" Alex responded quietly, her voice cracking slightly.

"Every single disease in the galaxy, they're been infected with everything" The Doctor finished, closing the door and turning to glance at Alex. She gave him another small nod but he watched her a moment longer.

"What about us? Are we safe?" Cassandra asked. Alex had to remind herself she was in Rose's body before she felt too inclined to punch her.

"The air's sterile, just don't touch them" The Doctor told her, moving to stand by Alex at the barrier. She turned and they all looked out at the rows upon rows of pods.

"How many patients are there?" Cassandra asked, looking out.

"They're not patients" Alex corrected.

"But they're sick" Cassandra frowned, not understanding.

"They were born sick, they exist to be sick" The Doctor spat out angrily. "Lab rats. No wonder the sisters have got a cure for everything, they've built the ultimate research factory. A human farm" Alex reached out to take his hand, hesitantly at first but when his hand grabbed hers tightly, she returned the favour.

"Why don't they just die?" Cassandra asked, unaware of both tightening their grip on each other.

"Plague carriers. The last to go" The Doctor explained shortly.

"It's for the greater cause" A voice came from behind them. The three of them turned as Novice Hame strolled in.

"Novice Hame. When you took your vows, did you agree to this?" The Doctor asked coldly.

"The sisterhood has sworn to help"

"What, by killing?" The Doctor returned in a shout.

"But they're not real people" Novice Hame tried to reason, calm as ever. "They're specially grown. They have no proper existence"

"What's the turnover, hm?" The Doctor went on, advancing dangerously. Talking, not shouting. But anyone who knew the Doctor knew that his calmness in anger was most dangerous. "Thousand a day? Thousand the next?" Alex followed silently, glaring as she let him talk, their hands still clasped together. "Thousand the next? How many thousand? For how many years? How many?"

"Mankind needed us. They came to this world with so many illnesses" Novice Hame tried to reason. "We couldn't cope. We did try, we tried everything. We tried clone-meat and bio-cattle, but the results were too slow. So the sisterhood grew it's own flesh. That's all they are. Flesh"

"So are all of us. But these people are alive" Alex pointed out.

"But think of all those humans out there… Healthy, and happy because of us" She continued.

"If they live because of this, then life is worthless" The Doctor stated bluntly.

"But who are you to decide that?" Novice Hame challenged.

"I'm the Doctor" He stepped forward. "And if you don't like it, if you want to take it to a higher authority, there's only one" Alex stepped forward, taking her place beside him.

"Me. It stops with me" She stated confidently.

"Just to confirm" Cassandra spoke up, looking over the two's shoulders. "None of the humans in the city actually know about this"

"We thought it best not…" Novice Hame admitted, seeming almost taken aback by her question.

"Hold on" The Doctor interrupted. "I can understand the bodies. I can understand your vows. But there's one thing I can't understand… What have you done to Rose?"

"I don't know what you mean" Novice Hame told him.

"And I am being very, very calm, you wanna be aware of that" The Doctor told her, deadly quiet now. "Very, very calm. And the only reason I am being so very, very calm is that the brain is a very delicate thing. Whatever you've done to Rose's head, I want it reversed"

"We haven't done anything" Novice Hame insisted.

"I'm perfectly fine" Cassandra tried to tell him.

"Doctor, I think she's telling the truth" Alex told him softly. He turned to her and she could see how worried he was for their friend and how angry he was at whoever had done this to her.

"These people are dying, and Rose would care" He pointed out. Alex gave him a look that clearly said 'I know'.

"Oh, all right, clever clogs" Cassandra relented, pulling him around to face her. "Smarty pants" She continued, pulling his tie out from his jacket. "Lady-killer" Alex glared at her from her spot beside the Doctor. Really, if Cassandra didn't have Rose's body she probably would've hit her by now.

"What's happened to you?" The Doctor asked, frowning at her.

"I knew something was going on in this hospital, but I needed this body and your mind to find it out" Cassandra explained.

"Who are you?" The Doctor asked her, watching her warily. Cassandra leant forward up on her toes to whisper in his ear.

"The Last Human"

The Doctor pulled away, surprise evident in his expression.

"Cassandra?"

"Wake up and smell the perfume" Cassandra responded, pulling a small bottle of what looked like perfume from inside Rose's jacket. She quickly sprayed it at both the Doctor and Alex and they fell immediately, unconscious.

* * *

 **Yeah Alex isn't fond of Cassandra... never was really. Anyway, review if you like. Hope you enjoyed :)**


	32. Out With The Old

**So been a while and all that. I already uploaded this but I was informed hours ago that it had glitched and all the code was in here (I would've remembered to check for that if it hadn't been so long...) But it should be fixed now. Apologies for the hours it took me to fix this, and for any spelling errors because I did some last minute beta reading before I posted it last time, but I can't be bothered now, so have the version from my word document. Either way, enjoy!**

Alex blinked her eyes open blearily at the sound of the Doctor's voice shouting something. She frowned slightly, glancing around in an attempt to figure out where she was. It took another moment before it became clear exactly what had happened. She was in one of the pods in intensive care. She felt her heart rate pick up as she looked around, trying to find a way out.

"Doctor?" She called, hoping he'd be able to hear her.

"Alex?" His voice returned. "Cassandra! Let us out!"

"Aren't you lucky there were spares?" Cassandra told them, moving to stand in front of the doors. Alex could just make out the shape of her through the greenish glass. "Standing room only"

"You stole Rose's body" The Doctor growled.

"Over the years I've thought of a thousand ways to kill you two" Cassandra told them in reply. "And now that's exactly what I've got. A thousand diseases. They pump the patients with a top up every ten minutes. You've got about… three minutes. Enjoy"

"Just let Rose go, Cassandra" The Doctor tried again.

"I will. As soon as I've found someone younger and… less common. Then I'll junk her with the waste. Now hushaby! It's showtime"

Alex banged on the door a couple times, growling slightly when nothing happened. This space was just too _small_. She tried to keep her mind on track when memories threatened to surface. She had to get out. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to control her breathing and forget the fact that she didn't even have to stretch her arms out to reach all the walls around her. It wasn't like she was particularly fond of small spaces before, but after-

"Alex, we have to go, now" the Doctor's voice cut through the dark memories, making her eyes snap open. The door was open and he was stood in the doorway but looked very eager to leave. He had that understanding look on his face but although she had to force herself to even move enough to take his outstretched hand, she knew he was right. The Doctor pulled her along with him as he chased after Cassandra and the half-form Chip, glancing back at her every now and then.

Alex managed to push away thoughts on the past, focussing on surviving now. She looked around when the Doctor stopped suddenly, finding that now every body walking out of their cells. Thousands upon thousands of diseased half-humans.

"Oh my god" Cassandra muttered softly.

"What the hell have you done?!" The Doctor demanded angrily.

"It wasn't me!" Cassandra insisted.

"One touch and you get every disease in the world" The Doctor reminded them. "And I want that body safe, Cassandra! We've gotta go down!"

"But there's thousands of them!" Cassandra pointed out, sounding terrified by this point.

"Run! Down! Down! Go down!" The Doctor continued, pulling Alex along as he ran right behind Cassandra. They continued down, Alex placing all her focus on running lest she get distracted. They exited the stairwell into a cellar and Cassandra stopped, attempting to open the elevator.

"They won't work, the building's under quarantine" Alex reminded her as her and the Doctor stopped beside her. The infected were following them and Alex tugged at the Doctor's sleeve silently.

"This way!" Cassandra called. Alex and the Doctor followed, dodging more infected as they spilled in from another corridor. Alex stopped at the scared sound from behind them and turned to find Chip left behind, whimpering softly.

"Someone will touch him!" Alex pointed out, afraid for the half-form. She went to go back for him when Cassandra grabbed hold of her, stopping her from doing so.

"Leave him!" She insisted. "He's just a clone thing, he's only got a half life. Come on!"

"Mistress!" Chip called pitifully. Alex glanced back at him, feeling her heart break at the terrified and saddened look on her face. But Cassandra had already run off.

"I'm sorry, I can't let her escape" The Doctor told him, grabbing Alex by her shoulders and pulling her back.

"Doctor we can't!" She tried, looking up at him pleadingly.

"Cassandra still has Rose" He reminded her softly. "And we can't stay here or we'll die too" Alex shot one last glance at the half-form surrounded by infected. She huffed a sad breath, turning to run after Cassandra with the Doctor on her heels. They rushed into another room to find Cassandra opening a door, only to slam it shut again at the sight of the infected.

"We're trapped!" She told the other two, obviously upset. "What are we going to do?"

"Well, for starters, you're going to get out of that body" Alex growled, approaching her menacingly. Cassandra stumbled slightly as she backed away from her.

"That psychograft is banned on every civilised planet" The Doctor continued from behind her as he gestured at the machine on the ceiling. "You're compressing Rose to death"

"But I've got nowhere to go. My original skin is dead" Cassandra told them, eyeing Alex warily.

"Not our problem" Alex snapped.

"You can float as atoms in the air for all I care. Now, get out" The Doctor ordered. He put a hand on Alex's shoulder, pulling her behind him as he raised the sonic screwdriver menacingly at Cassandra. "Give her back" He ordered clearly.

"You asked for it" Cassandra huffed. A cloud of light burst from Rose's body and as soon as it was gone Alex was rushing over to steady Rose, forgetting all about Cassandra.

"You alright?" Alex asked softly, her anger gone at the sight of her disoriented friend.

"Blimey, my head…" Rose muttered in response.

"You could've gotten compressed to death. I think you've had it easy" Alex told her frankly. Rose blinked at her, glancing around.

"Where'd she go…?"

"Oh my, this is… different" The Doctor spoke, sound very un-like the Doctor. Alex whirled around, her glare settling into place once more when she realised what had happened.

"Cassandra?" Rose asked, baffled.

"Goodness me, I'm a man!" Cassandra continued, delightedly ignoring both girls. "Yum. So many parts! And hardly used… Ah… ah! Two hearts!" She realised then. "Oh baby I'm beating out a samba!"

"Get out of him!" Rose shouted, glancing at Alex, who was still glaring wordlessly at Cassandra.

"Ooh, he's slim" Cassandra went on, trailing a hand down the body she was using. "And a little bit foxy" She turned to raise his eyebrows at the girls. "You've thought so too" She pointed out, looking specifically at Rose. Alex's glare fell slightly and she seemed to hesitate a moment. "I've been inside your head…" Alex frowned slightly, looking back at Rose, who was refusing to meet her gaze.

"You've been looking" Cassandra teased none too lightly, stepping forward. "Despite your little friend's crush… you like it…"

The door at the other end of the room burst open suddenly, saving Rose from any more teasing from Cassandra or any questions from Alex. Infected suddenly began to stumble their way in.

"What do we do?" Cassandra asked frantically. "What would he do? The Doctor, what the hell would he do?" Rose and Alex glanced around a moment.

"Ladder" Rose pointed out, drawing Alex's attention to it. "We've got to get up"

"Out of the way, blondie!" Cassandra yelped, pushing past Rose to start climbing quickly. Alex gestured for Rose to go up next, watching the infected nervously until there was enough room for her to start upwards.

"If you get out of the Doctor's body he can think of something" Rose pointed out to Cassandra.

"Yap, yap, yap" Cassandra drawled. "God, it was tedious inside your head. Hormone city…"

"Just shut up Cassandra" Alex snapped. "Did you notice, none of us would be in this mess if-" She cut herself off with a scream of surprise as she felt a hand close around her ankle. She looked down to find one of the cats climbing up below them.

"Get off me" She growled, very much not in the mood for someone else to be annoying her. She tried to kick her off but the cat's grip on her was firm. It also meant she had stopped being able to climb.

"All our good work! All that healing!" She hissed. "The good name of the sisterhood… You have destroyed everything!"

"Go and play with a ball of string" Cassandra dismissed, rolling her eyes above them.

"Everywhere, disease! This is the human world, sickness!"

She screamed suddenly, boils breaking out on her furry skin before she fell all the way back down to the bottom of the shaft, still screaming.

"Don't I know it" Alex muttered. The infected watched her fall before staring up again. "Keep going!" Alex called. Cassandra started up quickly again and Rose followed, glancing back down at Alex every now and then. They got to the top but Cassandra couldn't get the door opened.

"Now what do we do?" She called back to the girls.

"Use the sonic screwdriver!" They both shouted at her. She frowned, pulling the object from the Doctor's pockets between two fingers and making a face at it.

"You mean this thing?"

"Yes, I mean that thing" Rose answered before Alex could yell at her.

"Well I don't know how, the Doctor's hidden away all his thoughts" She admitted.

"Cassandra, go back into me. The Doctor can open it" Rose ordered quickly.

"Rose" Alex warned, not liking her idea.

"Do it!" Rose insisted.

"Hold on tight" Cassandra warned. There was a flash of that same light moving from the Doctor to Rose and both almost seemed to stumble.

"Oh… Oh, chavtastic again" Cassandra complained. "Open it!"

"Not 'til you get out of her" The Doctor warned, pointing his sonic screwdriver down at her.

"We need the Doctor" Cassandra pointed out.

"I order you to leave her!" The Doctor repeated louder. Cassandra jumped back into the Doctor, making an annoyed face once she settled.

"No matter how difficult the situation, there is no need to shout"

"Cassandra, get out of him" Rose snapped.

"But if I go into you, he simply refuses, he's so rude!" Cassandra complained.

"I don't care, just do something"

"Oh, I am so gonna regret this" Cassandra grumbled. There was another flash of light and it moved down past Alex into the first infected. Cassandra stopped climbing, halting the others.

"Oh sweet lord, I look disgusting" She whined. The lift doors opened above and the Doctor helped Rose out.

"Glad to have you back" He told her, smiling. He made sure she was out alright before turning to help Alex out.

"Same for you" Alex told him honestly as she took his hand, letting him pull her out.

"No you don't…" Cassandra mumbled behind them. One moment she was with the Doctor and then a dizzying feeling hit her and the world went black.

There was a moment until it seemed like the lights flicked back on, like she was rebooting. But she was crouched on the ground. Rose was staring at her in shock and the Doctor sealed the doors quickly before turning to her, radiating rage. It took Alex a moment to realise she couldn't control what her body was doing. But she noticed right away the presence that now took up so much of her mind. She mentally groaned. It felt like a whole other person physically sitting on top of her head.

"That was your last warning Cassandra!" The Doctor growled.

"Inside her head" Cassandra spoke softly, staring off into space. "They're so alone… They keep reaching out… Just to hold us… All their lives and they've never been touched" The Doctor and Rose exchanged a glance which Alex caught out of the corner of her eye, being as it was she couldn't look at them properly. Cassandra gasped suddenly and it took Alex a moment to realise why. She'd found them. Her memories she'd regained.

"No…" She whispered. "Oh, the war" The Doctor's gaze hardened, seeming to realize exactly what she was talking about. "Fire… blood"

"Cassandra" The Doctor warned.

"All the things she's seen… All the things she'd done…"

"That's enough"

"So many people… So many she-"

"Stop it" The Doctor snapped, walking forward. He crouched down in front of her, looking right into her eyes. "Now Alex, I know you can hear me. If I could, you can. I need you to block your memories, can you do that for me?" There was a pause and her hand wandered over to rest on his. He looked down in surprise and Cassandra pulled back quickly, just as shocked.

"I'm sorry. I don't…" Cassandra trailed off, confused.

"That's because that wasn't you" The Doctor told her. "Alex can hear me" He gave a small smile before standing and offering a hand out to her. Cassandra accepted, letting him pull her to her feet. The Doctor stared at her a moment longer, still seeming unhappy, before he started off with Rose and Cassandra following.

They were almost attacked by Frau Clovis with a chair as soon as they stepped into ward 26. Cassandra and Rose jumped backwards as the Doctor started talking quickly, stopping her.

"We're safe! We're safe! We're safe. We're clean! We're clean! Look, look" He assured her.

"Show me your skin" The woman ordered.

"Look! Clean. Look" He repeated, holding his hands forward for her to see. Rose and Cassandra copied. "If we'd been touched we'd be dead" Frau Clovis nodded, placing the chair down. "So how's it going up here? What's the status?" The Doctor asked, glancing around.

"There's nothing but silence from the other wards. I think we're the only ones left" She told them, fiddling with a small device now. "And I've been trying to override the quarantine. If I can trip a signal over to New New York they can send a private executive squad"

"You can't do that. If they forced entry they'd break quarantine" The Doctor pointed out.

"I am not dying in here" She insisted angrily.

"We can't let a single particle of disease get out" The Doctor reasoned. "There is ten million people in that city, they'd all be at risk! Now, turn that off!"

"Not if it gets me out" Frau Clovis refused.

"Alright, fine. So I have to stop you lot as well. Suits me. Rose, Novice Hame, everyone! Excuse me your grace…" He glanced at the Duke of Manhattan before continuing. "Get me intravenous solutions for every single disease, move it!" He watched them all for a moment before spotting Cassandra, still in Alex's body. She wasn't doing anything, just standing where she was and staring off into space. He moved over and placed a hand on her shoulder, startling her out of her daze.

"You alright?" He asked softly.

"Everything she remembers…" Cassandra muttered, shaking her head slightly. "Was that all real?" The Doctor hesitated before nodding. "And you were there. You saw what she did"

"It wasn't her fault" The Doctor corrected quickly.

"Wasn't it?"

"No"

"She seems to think it was" Cassandra told him, making him pause. He glanced around as the others in the room had gathered the solutions he'd asked for.

"I'll talk to her later" He said mostly to himself before going to do what he needed to do. Cassandra watched him run off with Rose following behind.

"You really do love him don't you?" She asked out loud but softly.

' _How could I not?'_ Alex's voice returned. Cassandra rolled her eyes but a flicker of a smile made itself known.

"I don't think he deserves you" She said frankly.

 _'I don't think I deserve him'_ Alex corrected

Cassandra waited in silence until the Doctor returned. He glanced at her as he walked past, taking her hand and pulling her along as he approached the Face of Boe, who looked very much alive. Rose glanced at her.

"Are you still…?" She asked, not wanting to finish her sentence. Cassandra glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, seeming disinterested.

"We're both still here" She responded, tapping a finger to her head. Rose seemed to deflate slightly.

"You were supposed to be dying" The Doctor told the Face of Boe, smiling nonetheless.

"There are better things to do today. Dying can wait" The Face of Boe responded in their minds.

"Oh I hate telepathy. Just what I need, head full of big face" Cassandra complained. The Doctor shushed her impatiently.

' _You'd better remember whose head this is'_ Alex warned.

"I have grown tired with the universe Doctor" The Face of Boe went on. "But you have taught me to look at it anew"

"There are legends you know" The Doctor told him, kneeling in front of the glass. "Saying that you're millions of years old"

"There are?" The Face laughed. "That would be impossible"

"Wouldn't it just?" The Doctor smiled back. "I got the impression… that there was something you wanted to tell us"

"A great secret" The Face of Boe agreed.

"So the legend says"

"It can wait"

"Aww, does it have to?" The Doctor complained.

"We shall meet again, Doctor" He glanced at Alex, smiling slightly. "Fledgling. For the third time. The last time. And the truth shall be told. Until that day…" He teleported away without another word.

"That is enigmatic" The Doctor muttered, sounding impressed. "That- that is- that is textbook enigmatic" He nodded to himself and turned around to Cassandra, who was looking over Alex's nails. "And now for you"

"But… everything's happy. Everything's fine… can't you just leave me?" She asked hopefully.

"You've lived long enough" The Doctor shook his head. "Leave that body and end it Cassandra"

"I don't want to die!" Cassandra insisted, starting to cry. The Doctor clenched his jaw visibly. Cassandra was still in Alex's body. He had to remind himself that it wasn't her crying. He had to get rid of Cassandra.

"No one does" He responded simply.

"Help me!"

"I can't" He shook his head.

"Mistress!" Chip cried out, entering the room.

"Ah! You're alive!" Cassandra pointed out, seeming actually happy he was there.

"I kept myself safe. For you, mistress" He told her, smiling softly like he'd hoped he'd made her happy.

"A body" Cassandra realised, staring at him. "And not just that, a voulenteer"

"Don't you dare" The Doctor warned. "He's got a life of his own"

"But I worship the mistress" Chip inputted. "I welcome her"

"You can't Cassandra" The Doctor continued. She ignored him and quickly jumped from Alex into Chip, the light moving in a flash. Alex fell forward suddenly and the Doctor rushed forward to catch her.

"Oh! You alright?" He asked, holding her loosely. She blinked up at him a moment before her legs gave out and he had to catch her again. "Whoa! Okay?" Rose glanced between the two, looking worried as she stood to the side. She stared at him, her eyes focussing for a moment before she smiled.

"Hello" She breathed out softly.

"Hello" He smiled in return. "Welcome back"

"Ooh, look at that" She laughed. "Using my own body again" She held a hand up in front of her face, turning it around and moving her fingers. "Nice" She glanced over at Rose and her eyes and smile widened. "Rosie!" She cried happily, moving to reach out to her and stumbling in the process, causing both Rose and the Doctor to catch her. She laughed breathily. "Damn, who knew being compressed to death took so much out of you"

"Oh sweet lord. I'm a walking doodle" Cassandra complained from behind them, drawing their attention away. The Doctor glanced at Alex before leaving her with Rose, turning to Cassandra.

"You can't stay in there" He told her. "I'm sorry Cassandra, but that's not fair. I can take you to the city. They can build you a skin tank and you can stand trial for what you've done"

"Well that would be rather dramatic" Cassandra pointed out. "Possibly my finest hour. And certainly my finest hat. But I'm afraid we don't have time. Poor little Chip is only a half-life. And he's been through so much. His heart is racing so. He's failing, I don't think he's going to last…" His legs gave out and despite the fact that it had happened to her not two minutes ago, Alex was the first to hold her up, followed by the Doctor.

"You alright?" The Doctor asked, looking down at her.

"I'm fine" She waved off before pausing. The three stared at her. "I'm dying, but that's fine"

"I can take you to the city" The Doctor told her again calmly.

"No, you won't" She shook her head. "Everything's new on this planet. There's no place for me and Chip anymore. You're right Doctor. It's time to die" She paused again, hesitating before she finished. "And that's good"

"Come on. There's one last thing we can do" The Doctor told her, him and Alex helping her to her feet and walking her out of the ward.

Alex stood silently as they flew to the one last place Cassandra would go. She kept glancing at her while Cassandra herself was refusing to look at her. They landed and the Doctor and Rose helped her to her feet.

"Cassandra" Alex spoke up before she could think about it properly. They stopped, letting her look over at Alex. "I'm sorry" She said sincerely. Cassandra actually gave her a smile.

"Forgive yourself" She told the other girl. Alex smiled softly in return.

"Is that a dying wish?" She joked.

"Yes" Cassandra told her seriously. "At least try" Alex nodded.

"Yeah, okay. I'll try" She promised. Cassandra nodded in return and the Doctor and Rose helped her to the door. Alex stood where she was a moment before following. By the time she exited the Tardis, Cassandra was halfway across the room in the huge party, talking to a much younger version of herself. Alex smiled softly until Chip's body failed and she collapsed. Cassandra started trying to call for help, holding the man she'd just met. Rose was the first to return to the Tardis. The Doctor glanced at Alex, who was still staring at the two, tears in the corner of her eyes.

"Come on" The Doctor urged softly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him as he led her back to the Tardis.

"She wasn't always bad" Alex pointed out quietly. "We saw, just now. She was really the only one to care when a man collapsed in the middle of a party. She tried to look after him"

"Yeah" The Doctor agreed. "I know" He placed a small kiss on top of her head. "Let's go get some sleep, yeah?" Alex nodded, shooting one last glance over her shoulder before entering the Tardis once more.


	33. Clearing Things Up

**So this is only really a short chapter, kind of an extended ending to the last episode. But before we get into that, I wanted to make a comment on the last review I got on chapter 30 before I posted this. Honestly? I can see that it's kinda only there to upset me, but I found it more amusing than anything. All it basically said was that they hated OC stories and I'm just confused as to why someone would read thirty chapters of this story when they hate OC stories. Honestly, just don't waste your own time on something if you really hate it.**

 **Okay, I'm finished, read on**

"Alex?" Rose called hesitantly, stepping into the library. Always the quickest way to find Alex these days. Alex looked up from her book, giving the blonde a reassuring smile.

"What's up?" She asked, placing the bookmark in and setting her book down on the arm of the couch.

"Look. I know you heard what Cassandra was saying about… about…" She hesitated again.

"You've been looking?" Alex guessed with a hint of amusement in her tone.

"Yeah" Rose admitted sheepishly.

"So you have?"

"Oh! No!" Rose realised her mistake. "No, I meant-"

"I know what you mean" Alex laughed slightly. "It's fine Rose. To be honest, as far as I knew you and the Doctor were meant to be a thing without me here"

"Really?" Rose asked, frowning slightly.

"Well, not a thing, thing, but everyone knew you both like each other in the show. One of my favourite parings actually" Alex admitted with a grin.

"Well, you know. It's not like I'd ever-"

"I know" Alex nodded. "I gathered that much with the way you keep trying to set us up" Rose blushed slightly.

"You've noticed?"

"I have, the other one's an idiot" She corrected bluntly, making Rose laugh. Alex grinned triumphantly at that.

"Well, now that we've got that covered" Rose began, laughing slightly. "I thought I might ask about…" Alex frowned slightly, waiting patiently for her to finish her question. "What happened… to you…in the… the, um. The Time War" Alex froze and Rose immediately backtracked.

"I mean if you want to. I obviously can't make you. You don't have to. I don't want to make anything worse for you I know it was quite recent and I-"

"Sit down" Alex told her, voice not giving anything away as her eyes studied her hands in her lap. Rose sat on the couch beside her, falling silent. There was a moment of quiet before Alex spoke up again. "I'm not a Time Lord" She admitted. "Well, I can be one. But really I'm this older species that can change my physical appearance. Every single characteristic, into any species in the universe with a single touch. Any living creature I can mimic perfectly and my mind remains the same"

"That is so cool" Rose gushed, pausing like she thought she was in trouble when Alex glanced at her. She shot the younger girl a smile.

"I guess it is, isn't it?" She seemed to realise. "Well the issue is that my mind is one of the most openly telepathic minds in the universe, because that was how my species communicated, and how we could find each other.

"Was?" Rose asked hesitantly. Alex looked at her sadly, moving so she was sat cross-legged against the arm of the couch, facing the other girl.

"They're all gone now. Hundreds of years before the Time Lords. I was just a baby. Grew up on Gallifrey" She explained. Rose blinked in surprise but remained silent. "I had nice people looking after me there though. They helped me control my changing, so no one else would know. Because I have been the last of my species all my life, imagine how much I could be worth. But when the war started…" She paused, trying to think of the best way to say it.

"The Time Lords started becoming desperate. They used every weapon they could get. So when they realised they had me… Of course I'd learned to close my mind off, shut people out, but it wasn't enough. They, uh, reprogrammed my mind. Hid away my personality and made me a soldier. I was to follow Time Lord orders, and every other creature, unless stated otherwise, was the enemy. Then something went wrong. The programming was off or something, and Time Lords slipped from the command list. Which meant I had no one I would listen to, and no one to call an ally"

"So they were all enemies" Rose realized with horror. Alex nodded, swallowing thickly.

"The war was almost won too. Then… then I.." She couldn't finish, tears gathering in her eyes. Rose moved to wrap an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in close.

"So that's what you meant, you didn't deserve your name anymore" Rose guessed, thinking back on something. Alex nodded.

"Yeah" She answered quietly.

"That's what happened in Cardiff" The Doctor spoke up, making both girls look to the door as he walked over closer. He sat down on Alex's other side, pulling her into a hug. "Time Lords, they used the vortex for a lot of things. It was used quite a bit in the war. What you saw back in Cardiff was programming. She saw the vortex and switched to program mode"

"Like a computer?" Rose frowned.

"Like a computer" The Doctor agreed. "I inputted a virus into their systems, shut down soldier mode" Alex smiled softly, cuddling closer to the Doctor.

"Still looking after me, all these years later" She pointed out.

"Of course I am. You're my best friend" He told her, placing a kiss on the top of her head. Rose smiled at the two, now realizing why they seemed so much closer since his regeneration and she'd gotten her memories back. They'd grown up together. Hundreds of years together. It all made so much sense now. Rose silently slipped out before the two could notice she was leaving, letting them have their alone moment.

She'd just have to ask for another adventure tomorrow.


End file.
